לְאַנְשֵׁי קְהִלַּת וכו׳

To the members of the community of… This letter is one of the most specific, addressed to a particular community in light of particular events. But the identifying details have been omitted in the printed edition of the Tanya, including the name of the community to which this letter was addressed and the specific events that served as the backdrop for its writing.

אֲהוּבַיי אַחַיי וְרֵעַיי אֲשֶׁר כְּנַפְשִׁי

My beloved ones, my brethren and friends, who are like my own soul, These words are not mere hyperbole. They give true expression to the relationship between the author of the Tanya, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, and his hasidim, and to the essence of the relationship in general between a Rebbe and his hasidim. Before the author of the Tanya proceeds to the content of his letter, which includes some words of criticism that may be difficult for the recipients to hear, he states that his care and devotion for them is like that which he has for himself. His critique, then, is almost like words of criticism a person might direct at himself, which are easier to hear.

הִנֵּה לֹא נֶעְלַם מִמֶּנִּי צוּק הָעִתִּים אֲשֶׁר נִתְדַּלְדְּלָה הַפַּרְנָסָה, וּבִפְרָט הַיְּדוּעִים לִי, מִמַּחֲנֵיכֶם, אֲשֶׁר מָטָה יָדָם בְּלִי שׁוּם מַשְׁעֵן וּמַשְׁעֵנָה, וּמַמָּשׁ לוֹוִים וְאוֹכְלִים, ה׳ יְרַחֵם עֲלֵיהֶם וְיַרְחִיב לָהֶם בַּצָּר בְּקָרוֹב.

the desperateness of the current times, in which livelihoods have dwindled, have not escaped my notice. I am particularly aware of those members of your community who have become destitute without any support. They literally borrow in order to eat. May God have mercy on them and soon grant them respite from their distress. The author of the Tanya notes the financial distress of the members of the community he is addressing, some of whom are lacking basic staples. They take small loans simply in order to buy food for the day with no way to ensure their most basic needs for the following day. He first blesses them that God may grant them respite from this distress. The particular form of the blessing, that God should have mercy on them, foreshadows the rest of the letter, where he states that when they have mercy on those even more destitute than they are, God will have mercy on them.

וְעִם כָּל זֶה, לֹא טוֹב הֵם עוֹשִׂים לְנַפְשָׁם,

Nevertheless, they are not acting beneficially toward themselves Despite their financial distress, the behavior of the members of this community is damaging to themselves both materially and spiritually. This is consistent with what the author of the Tanya wrote in previous letters, that when one gives charity, one benefits himself even more than he benefits the recipient of his charity. Furthermore, the author of the Tanya explains that refraining from giving causes spiritual damage to one's soul.

לְפִי הַנִּשְׁמָע אֲשֶׁר קָפְצוּ יָדָם הַפְּתוּחָה מֵעוֹדָם עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה, לִיתֵּן בְּיָד מְלֵאָה וְעַיִן יָפָה לְכָל הִצְטָרְכוּת הַהֶכְרֵחִיִּים לְדֵי מַחְסוֹרֵי הָאֶבְיוֹנִים נְקִיִּים, אֲשֶׁר עֵינֵיהֶם נְשׂוּאוֹת אֵלֵינוּ, וְאִם אָנוּ לֹא נְרַחֵם עֲלֵיהֶם חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, מִי יְרַחֵם עֲלֵיהֶם? "וְחֵי אָחִיךָ עִמָּךְ" (ויקרא כה, לו) כְּתִיב.

according to reports that they have closed their hands, which had been open their whole lives until this day, from giving fully and generously all the necessities that the destitute, whose eyes are raised to us, lack. If we do not have mercy on them, God forbid, who will have mercy on them? As it is written, "And your brother shall live with you" (Lev. 25:36). The reference here is to the hasidim who immigrated to the Land of Israel in 1777. These individuals suffered from even greater poverty and persecution than other communities there. This letter concerns a collection undertaken for their benefit.

וְלֹא אָמְרוּ (בבא מציעא סב, א), אֶלָּא כְּשֶׁבְּיַד אֶחָד קִיתוֹן שֶׁל מַיִם וכו׳ שֶׁהוּא דָּבָר הַשָּׁוֶה לִשְׁנֵיהֶם בְּשָׁוֶה לִשְׁתּוֹת לְהָשִׁיב נַפְשָׁם בַּצָּמָא,

Regarding this verse, the Sages said, "Your life takes precedence" (Bava Metzia 62a) only in a case where one has a pitcher of water to share between himself and another, and so on, which is something that is equally essential to both of them so that they may drink to relieve themselves of thirst. The Talmud cites a case where two people are traveling in the wilderness and only one of them has a pitcher of water. If both drink, neither will survive since there will not be enough water between them, whereas if only one person drinks, he will make it back to civilization. Rabbi Akiva derives from the verse "And your brother shall live with you" that "your life takes precedence over the life of your brother." Yet the author of the Tanya points out that this principle applies only when the two individuals are in equal need of what they lack and when only one may survive while the other will die.

אֲבָל אִם הֶעָנִי צָרִיךְ לֶחֶם לְפִי הַטַּף וְעֵצִים וּכְסוּת בַּקָּרָה וּכְהַאי גַּוְונָא – כָּל דְּבָרִים אֵלּוּ קוֹדְמִין לְכָל מַלְבּוּשֵׁי כָבוֹד וְזֶבַח מִשְׁפָּחָה, בָּשָׂר וְדָגִים וְכָל מַטְעַמִּים שֶׁל הָאָדָם וְכָל בְּנֵי בֵיתוֹ.

But if the pauper requires bread to feed his children, and wood and clothing in the cold and the like, all such things take precedence over any fine garments or a family feast of meat, fish, and all other delicacies for a person and all the members of his household. If one person lacks the most basic necessities without which he cannot survive, his needs take precedence over another person's legitimate needs that are nevertheless not essential for his survival.

וְלֹא שַׁיָּיךְ בָּזֶה ‘חַיֶּיךָ קוֹדְמִין׳ מֵאַחַר שֶׁאֵינָן חַיֵּי נֶפֶשׁ מַמָּשׁ כְּמוֹ שֶׁל הֶעָנִי שָׁוֶה בְּשָׁוֶה מַמָּשׁ, כִּדְאִיתָא בִּנְדָרִים דַּף פ׳ (עמוד ב).

The principle of "Your life takes precedence" does not apply here, since these are not actually vital essentials that are equivalent to those of the pauper, as stated in Nedarim 80 b. The Talmud states that if a city does not have sufficient water for all its inhabitants, the needs of the residents of the city take precedence over the needs of nonresidents. This principle extends to the need of water for livestock and for washing as well. But this applies when the needs are equal, where both groups need drinking water or need water for their animals or to wash their clothes. In such a case, the residents do not need to give up their own needs in order to satisfy the needs of others. But if the needs are not equal, if the nonresidents lack drinking water and the residents merely need the water to wash their clothes, the principle that "your life takes precedence" does not apply.

וְהִנֵּה זֶהוּ עַל פִּי שׁוּרַת הַדִּין גָּמוּר. אֲבָל בֶּאֱמֶת גַּם אִם הוּא עִנְיָן דְּלָא שַׁיָּיךְ כָּל כָּךְ הַאי טַעְמָא, רָאוּי לְכָל אָדָם שֶׁלֹּא לְדַקְדֵּק לְהַעֲמִיד עַל הַדִּין, רַק לִדְחוֹק חַיָּיו וְלִיכָּנֵס לִפְנַי וְלִפְנִים מִשּׁוּרַת הַדִּין,

This is in accordance with the strict letter of the law. But in truth, even if it is a case where this reason does not really apply, it behooves every person not to be scrupulous about fulfilling only the letter of the law. Rather, he should live a life of hardship and go far beyond the letter of the law. According to the letter of the law, one must give up on one's own needs where they are not absolutely essential in order to provide for another's most basic necessities. But the reality was that the hasidim of Russia were not necessarily less impoverished than of the community in the Land of Israel. Even so, the author of the Tanya urges his followers not to merely follow the letter of the law. Though their needs are the same as those of the hasidim in the Land of Israel, they should go beyond the letter of the law and contribute nonetheless.

וְלִדְאוֹג לְעַצְמוֹ מִמַּאֲמַר רַבּוֹתֵינוּ ז״ל שֶׁכָּל הַמְדַקְדֵּק בְּכָךְ סוֹף בָּא לִידֵי כָּךְ חַס וְשָׁלוֹם.

He would thereby be taking care of himself, as derived from our Rabbis' statement that whoever is excessively fastidious in this regard will ultimately come to that state himself, God forbid. The letter of the law appears to be logical and just. Why, then, did the Sages state that "whoever is [excessively] fastidious in this regard will ultimately come to that state [himself]"? The nature of the world is that people's fortunes rise and fall. If one only fulfills the letter of the law with regard to others, people are likely to treat him the same way when he is in need. On a deeper level, the way a person treats others affects his relationship with God. When one does no more than required for others, he will do the same with God.

וְגַם כִּי כּוּלָּנוּ צְרִיכִים לְרַחֲמֵי שָׁמַיִם בְּכָל עֵת,

Also, because we are all in need of the compassion of Heaven at all times, Even someone who is not currently struggling with financial or medical hardships is constantly in need of divine mercy. At the end of the day, only God can provide one's needs, and in relation to God, a person is always in a state of need. One who does not recognize this is either foolish or heretical.

בְּאִתְעֲרוּתָא דִּלְתַתָּא דַּוְקָא,

which are evoked specifically through an awakening from below, Divine mercy is elicited through our own actions, what is called "an awakening from below." More generally, the way God relates to us is influenced by the way we act here below. The divine awakening is stirred on high in parallel to the action done below. Moreover, this action from below prepares us to receive the heavenly compassion that has been aroused.

בְּכָל עֵת וּבְכָל שָׁעָה, לְעוֹרֵר רַחֲמֵינוּ עַל הַצְּרִיכִים לְרַחֲמִים.

at all times and at all hours, by evoking our compassion for those who require compassion. Fundamentally, an awakening from below does not mean simply praying for what we need but rather initiating the relevant action ourselves. This concept characterizes the fundamental hasidic concept of prayer: We are not just asking for something but creating it ourselves by verbalizing it in prayer. This is not merely inwardly directed either. We are praying and creating new realities not only for ourselves, but for the world in general and, in a more abstract way, for the sake of the Divine Presence. This is the case with all awakenings from below that serve to awaken divine compassion for the individual with regard to a specific concrete need. We are not arousing compassion for ourselves, but rather for our fellow Jews, who are in need of divine mercy, and for the Divine Presence, which itself is in need of abundant mercy.

וְכָל הַמְאַמֵּץ לְבָבוֹ וְכוֹבֵשׁ רַחֲמָיו, יִהְיֶה מֵאֵיזֶה טַעַם שֶׁיִּהְיֶה, גּוֹרֵם כָּךְ לְמַעְלָה לִכְבּוֹשׁ וכו׳, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם.

Anyone who hardens his heart and suppresses his compassion, for whatever reason, causes compassion to be suppressed above, and so forth, God forbid, Just as acting with compassion toward those in need awakens divine compassion toward us, the opposite is also true: Withholding our compassion from others can cause a withholding of divine compassion from us, God forbid. When we evoke compassion within ourselves for those in need of compassion, we thereby awaken divine compassion for ourselves. Conversely, if we stifle our compassion toward others, this engenders a corresponding restriction of compassion from above, God forbid. This is one reason for giving charity even beyond the letter of the law: to arouse divine compassion beyond the letter of the law. This will result in a qualitatively different reality – a reality infused with compassion and giving beyond what is deserved. This applies to everyone, but there is an additional reason that the author of the Tanya will present below, one that is relevant to a person who is lacking and needs atonement, a medical cure, a livelihood, and so on. In that case, charity is portrayed as a kind of remedy that the supplicant urgently needs and for which he is willing to give everything he has.

וּמַה גַּם ״כִּי אָדָם אֵין צַדִּיק בָּאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה טּוֹב״ - תָּמִיד - ״וְלֹא יֶחֱטָא״ (קהלת ז, כ), וְהַצְּדָקָה מְכַפֶּרֶת וּמְגִינָּה מִן הַפּוּרְעָנוּת וכו׳.

especially since "there is no righteous man upon the earth who does good" – always – "and does not sin" (Eccles. 7:20), and charity atones and protects against retribution, and so on. That the righteous "does good" means that he fulfills the positive commandments that are incumbent on him, while "does not sin" refers to the prohibitions that he does not transgress. There is no person alive who is not somehow tainted by contact with kelippa and with evil, whether through committing sins or neglecting to do good deeds, or even merely by having negative thoughts or inadequacies. But charity can effect atonement, closing the breaches caused by these failings and preventing the negative consequences that might otherwise result. In particular, charity atones for a person's failings in the realm of the performance of mitzvot, because charity is an addition to one's mitzva performance, especially when one gives beyond what is required of him.

וְלָזֹאת הִיא רְפוּאַת הַגּוּף וְנֶפֶשׁ מַמָּשׁ, אֲשֶׁר ״עוֹר בְּעַד עוֹר וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר לָאִישׁ יִתֵּן בְּעַד נַפְשׁוֹ״ (איוב ב, ד).

As such, it is an actual remedy for the body and soul, because "skin for skin, everything that a man has he will give for his life" (Job 2:4). Since charity protects a person both physically and spiritually, it is likened to medicine. A person would give anything to be cured of an illness, and he would not consult a rabbi to ascertain how much he is required to spend to obtain it. He would give not only all of his possessions, but even of his very body, "skin for skin."

בְּשֶׁגַּם אָנוּ מַאֲמִינִים בְּנֵי מַאֲמִינִים כִּי הַצְּדָקָה אֵינָהּ רַק הַלְוָאָה לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, כְּדִכְתִיב: ״מַלְוֵה ה׳ חוֹנֵן דָּל וּגְמוּלוֹ יְשַׁלֶּם לוֹ״ (משלי יט, יז),

In addition, we are believers, descendants of believers, who believe that charity is nothing other than a loan to the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is written, "He who cares for the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay his reward" (Prov. 19:17). The verse that the author of the Tanya quotes here states explicitly that giving to the poor is like lending to God and that He will repay the debt. Thus, not only is giving to the poor actually giving to oneself, in that it brings a person atonement and protection; it is like giving to God, as it were. Not only that, it is actually not really giving at all, but lending, and the lender is guaranteed to be repaid considerably more than he gave.

בְּכִפְלַיִים (לט, ב–מ, א).

God will repay the person double, meaning a double reward, including in this world, since there is no reward for all the mitzvot in this world apart from charity because it is beneficial for other people, as stated at the end of the first chapter of Kiddushin (39b–40a). The giver of charity will be paid back double: once in the World to Come, where he receives reward for all the mitzvot he performed, and once in this world, where he is repaid with material benefit. As a rule, the full reward for mitzvot is awarded only in the World to Come, in the world of souls in the Garden of Eden. One reason for this is that this world is simply incapable of containing such reward. By performing a mitzva, one connects in the deepest possible way to God, and there is no expression of that connection in this world other than the performance of mitzvot, which constitute the connection itself. But the reward for that connection, which constitutes the awareness of that connection and the sublime satisfaction it brings, cannot be attained in this world, where it is impossible to comprehend the true nature of the connection. It is possible to get a taste of this reward only in higher spiritual worlds, such as the world of Yetzira, which is the lower Garden of Eden, or the world of Beria, which is the higher Garden of Eden. These are spiritual worlds that are unbounded by physical limitations, where there is a higher level of spiritual awareness. Charity is an exception to this rule. Aside from the connection to God that it creates, like any other mitzva, it also brings material benefit to others in this world. Consequently, the reward is received not only in the next world but also in this world, because the material benefit a person brings to others creates a tangible receptacle to receive reward from above here below.

וְגַם יֵשׁ לָחוּשׁ לְעוֹנֶשׁ חַס וְשָׁלוֹם כְּשֶׁחֲבֵרָיו נִמְנִים לִדְבַר מִצְוָה וְהוּא לֹא נִמְנֶה עִמָּהֶם, כַּנּוֹדָע מִמַּאֲמַר רַבּוֹתֵינוּ ז״ל.

One should also be concerned about punishment, God forbid, when one's colleagues reach a consensus regarding a mitzva matter and he is not part of their consensus, as the well-known statement of our Rabbis attests. Commenting on the verse "That which is deficient cannot be counted [lehimanot ]" (Eccles. 1:15), the Talmud states, "This refers to one whose friends reached a consensus [nimnu ] to perform a mitzva, and he was not part of their consensus" (Berakhot 26a; Ḥagiga 9b). This means that beyond the reward that a person loses for neglecting to perform the mitzva, he may also incur a punishment. In general, one is punished only for violating prohibitions but not for failing to fulfill positive commandments. This is because the point of a punishment is to correct the damage a person has caused through the sin. When a person fails to fulfill a positive commandment, he does not cause damage but rather fails to bring a flow of vitality from higher worlds to this world, and that flow can be obtained only through mitzvot, not through punishments. Charity, though, is an exception because its effects are felt in this world, and therefore failure to give charity also needs to be rectified in this world. Moreover, when one's friends join together to fulfill a mitzva and he does not join them, he is impairing something positive that was pertinent to him. This impairment may then be rectified through punishment.

וְלַשּׁוֹמְעִים יוּנְעַם, וְתָבוֹא עֲלֵיהֶם בִּרְכַּת טוֹב, בְּכָל מִילֵּי דְּמֵיטַב, הֵטִיבָה ה׳ לַטּוֹבִים וִישָׁרִים כְּנַפְשָׁם וְנֶפֶשׁ הַדּוֹרֵשׁ שְׁלוֹמָם מִכָּל לֵב וָנֶפֶשׁ.

May those who give heed have a pleasant reward, and may a blessing of goodness, of all sorts of goodness, be bestowed on them. May God be good to those who are good and those who are upright in accordance with their wishes and the wishes of he who seeks their welfare with all his heart and soul. Having warned that those who do not heed his instructions may be subject to punishment, the author of the Tanya concludes by wholeheartedly blessing those who do contribute despite the inherent financial difficulty.