״בִּגְזֵירַת עִירִין פִּתְגָמָא וּמֵאמַר קַדִּישִׁין״

"By the decree of the angels and the verdict by the word of the holy ones," While this verse addresses angels, the sages related it to Torah scholars who are like the ministering angels (Pesaḥim 33a.)

חַכְמֵי הַמִּשְׁנָה עֲלֵיהֶם הַשָּׁלוֹם

the Sages of the Mishna, may they rest in peace, The concepts elucidated in this epistle about the holiness of the quorum are not rationally comprehensible, therefore, the author of the Tanya connects them to the Sages of the Mishna, whose teachings constitute the oral Torah; like a heavenly decree uttered by angels.

שֶׁשָּׁנוּ בְּמִשְׁנָתָם: ״עֲשָׂרָה שֶׁיּוֹשְׁבִין וְעוֹסְקִין בַּתּוֹרָה שְׁכִינָה שְׁרוּיָה בֵּינֵיהֶם״ (אבות פרק ג משנה ו).

who taught in their Mishna, "Ten who are sitting and are engaging with the Torah, the Divine Presence rests amongst them" (Avot 3:6). In a similar saying of the Sages that is brought in Likkutei Amarim at the end of chapter eleven and later on in this epistle, it says, "Wherever there are ten Jews, the Divine Presence dwells." The difference is that here it says, the Divine Presence dwells amongst them," meaning within them, in their depths, whereas the former intention of the residing of the Divine Presence is only as a surrounding light. It follows that ten Jews who sit and engage in Torah study, enjoy a double benefit, that of the ten Jews who are gathered together who are privy to the residing of the Divine Presence as a surrounding light, and the effect of their Torah study which brings about the shining of an internal light that can be felt in a tangible way. The combination of both of these, of a surrounding light that penetrates inside, is the topic of the epistle.

כִּי זֶה כָּל הָאָדָם, וְאַף גַּם זֹאת הָיְתָה כָּל יְרִידָתוֹ בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה לְצוֹרֶךְ עֲלִיָּה זוֹ, אֲשֶׁר אֵין עֲלִיָּה לְמַעְלָה הֵימֶנָּה.

For this is the whole of man, and moreover, his entire descent to this world was for the sake of this ascent, over which there is no higher ascent. This is a reference to Ecclesiastes and means, "this is the purpose of man's creation," to draw down the indwelling presence of the Divine into himself and into the world. The root of man's soul is incredibly high, literally a piece of God above. Its manifestation in a body in this lowest of worlds entails a gaping descent to the ultimate degree that spans the entire spectrum of reality. A known principle in the service of God is that the purpose of every descent is the ascent that follows it. The bigger the descent, the greater the ascent that follows. If the descent reached the absolute lowest place, then the following ascent will scale the absolute highest place. It follows, that if this is the whole purpose of man's existence, then there cannot be anything higher than it, since it is not a stage that leads to something else, but rather, "this is the whole of man."

כִּי שְׁכִינַת עוּזּוֹ אֲשֶׁר בְּגָבְהֵי מְרוֹמִים, וְהַשָּׁמַיִם וּשְׁמֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם לֹא יְכַלְכְּלוּ אֵימָתָהּ – תִּשְׁכּוֹן וְתִתְגַּדֵּל בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל,

As His power's presence, which is in the highest of heights, and whose dread the heavens and the heaven of heavens cannot contain, shall reside and be magnified amongst the children of Israel, This quote is from King Solomon's prayer for the dedication of the Temple (I Kings, 8:27). King Solomon's sentiment perfectly encapsulates what the author of the Tanya is explaining. Beyond all God's manifestations of Self, beyond everything He does, beyond the entire created universe, God Himself exists, "His power's presence, which is in the highest of heights." He surrounds all worlds and transcends all, "whose dread the heavens and the heaven of heavens cannot contain." Neither the heavens above the earth, which are totally refined, spiritual and abstract compared to the earth, nor the "heavens of the heavens," which are absolutely spiritual and abstract compared to the heavens, can contain the dread of the presence of the Divine. When a person contemplates this utterly separate and lofty level, then he feels an immense, overwhelming awe which is called "awe of God's exaltedness." Yet, this unfathomably huge, overwhelmingly infinite Divine Presence can reside, manifest and even grow greater amongst the Jewish people in a quorum of Jews who are learning Torah and praying together.

כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: ״כִּי אֲנִי ה׳ שׁוֹכֵן בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל״ (במדבר לה, לד),

as it is written, "For I am the Lord, who rests in the midst of the children of Israel" (Num. 35:34), This verse speaks of the indwelling Divine Presence particularly amongst the Jewish people, which is why it employs the term "children of Israel" in the collective. This residing of the Divine Presence is the type that arises in the presence of a coalesced group and not for individuals alone. An individual person expresses one instance, one expression of the Jewish essence as refracted through his particular set of life-circumstances. While, when the entirety of the Jewish people, as expressed by a quorum of men, gathers together, the quintessential Jewish essence shines, and the infinite Divine becomes manifest. (This also happens to a certain degree in the deepest depths of every Jew, as will be explained later.)

עַל יְדֵי עֵסֶק הַתּוֹרָה וְהַמִּצְוֹת, בַּעֲשָׂרָה דַּוְקָא,

through engagement in Torah and mitzvot, specifically in a group of ten, However, there is a seeming contradiction in this verse. The verse uses the word betokh which, in addition to meaning "among," also means "within." This implies that the light shines as an inner light into each and every person, not only as a surrounding light. Therefore, the author of the Tanya adds this piece about Torah learning and mitzva performance to explain that when they are engaged in them, they are privy to both: the surrounding light that comes as a result of the ten simply gathering together and the inner light that is shined into each one personally as a result of the divine service that they do when they are together. Every Jew, in his essential divine soul, is one with the entire Jewish people; it is the garments of his soul that separates him from the rest of the nation as an individual. When he engages in Torah study and mitzvot, however, his inner divine soul is revealed and made manifest, therefore, the Divine Presence becomes revealed within him individually as well.

כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ ז״ל: אָתְיָא ״תּוֹךְ״ ״תּוֹךְ״ כו׳ (ברכות כא,ב).

as our Rabbis stated: It is inferred by a verbal analogy between the words "among," "among,"... (Berakhot 21a). Now the author of the Tanya explains the reason for the number ten. The Talmud states that an individual person praying does not recite the kedusha; only in the congregation, like the verse says, "I (God) am sanctified amongst (betokh ) the children of Israel." The term "children of Israel" refers to a group of Jews. This is learned from a Talmudic inference (gezeira shava ) when the same word appears in two different verses. The word "tokh," amongst, also appears in the verse "Separate yourselves from the midst (tokh ) of this congregation" (Num. 16:21.) The word for congregation in this verse is "eida," which always means at least ten. That the term "eida" always refers to at least ten is learned from another Talmudic inference, in which the group of spies is referred to as an "eida," "How long will it be with this evil congregation (eida )?" (ibid 14:27.) There were twelve spies, two of which were not included in this statement; Calev and Joshua did not sin and thus were not considered "evil." Ten are left over.

וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר: ״בְּקִרְבְּךָ קָדוֹשׁ״ (הושע יא,ט),

Regarding this, the verse states, " I am sacred in your midst" (Hos. 11:9), The surrounding light of God that transcends the awareness of the members of the quorum, will dwell and be manifest through Torah study and mitzva-performance "in your midst," within the realm of your conscious awareness.

וְאֵין דָּבָר שֶׁבִּקְדוּשָּׁה בְּפָחוֹת מֵעֲשָׂרָה (ברכות שם).

and there is no act of sanctity in a group fewer than ten (Berakhot 21a). Since the "holiness" does not dwell upon an individual person but rather upon the group, comprised of a minimum of ten people, therefore, "an expression of holiness" is only recited in the presence of ten people. "An expression of holiness," refers to the recitation of kedusha, barkhu, Torah reading and more, and the order of congregational prayer in general. All of these are ways of drawing down not just a distant revelation of God like an echo of a ripple-effect of His influence, but rather, God Himself, as it were, the great Holy One, that is utterly transcendent of all. As previously explained in relation to the residing of the Divine Presence, this level of revelation cannot manifest in a limited, incomplete vessel, as is every individual person when they are alone. Only a congregation, at least ten Jewish men, who together create a new entity that surpasses all the individual entities that comprise it, can be a vessel for "an expression of holiness."

וּמִשּׁוּם הָכִי נַמִי אִצְטְרִיךְ לְהוּ לְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ ז״ל לְמֵילַף מִקְּרָא, ״מִנַּיִן שֶׁאֲפִילּוּ אֶחָד שֶׁיּוֹשֵׁב וְעוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה כו׳״.

And for this reason, too, our Rabbis had to derive from a verse, "From where is it learned that God allots reward even for one who sits and engages in the Torah…?" After this whole discussion, one may conclude that Torah study with less than ten people is not worthwhile at all. Therefore, the author of the Tanya comments here that the Sages needed to anchor the truth of the immeasurable value of even one person who sits and learns Torah alone in a verse: "Let him sit alone and be silent, because he took it upon himself" (Lam. 3:28). The fact that a person learning alone is necessary in addition to learning with ten shows that they are not the same thing. There is an essential difference between Torah study in the presence of ten, and with less, as will be detailed below.

וְאַף גַּם זֹאת לֹא מָצְאוּ לוֹ סֶמֶךְ מִן הַמִּקְרָא אֶלָּא לִקְבִיעַת שָׂכָר בִּלְבַד

And even so, they only found support for this from Scripture with regard to the allocation of a reward As the Mishna says, God allocates reward." Meaning, the illumination that is drawn down to an individual that studies Torah is as reward, not the actual illumination of the Torah that he learned. Receiving reward, as discussed elsewhere (Avot 1:3), is also called "pras." The word "pras" also means a piece, a portion. Reward is only a superficial illumination of the thing, a mere part of it, not the thing itself. For example, it is the hired employee who receives payment for working, not the owner of the company. The employee works, and is thus deserving of pay, however, the crux of the work that he does is not actually his.

לְיָחִיד לְפִי עֶרְכּוֹ,

to the individual, in accordance with his worth, The reward is a limited illumination that enters the vessel of the receiver, and therefore is received according to the level and vessel of each and every person: according to his intellectual and emotional capacities, his IQ at the present moment, his skill level and effort that he invests. Even more so, it could be that the reward is not the actual thing, but rather makes itself compatible to the recipient. For example, that which we register through our senses is never the actual entity that we are experiencing, but rather, its appearance, its sound, etc. Even of its overall appearance, sound… we only register that which falls within our audio and visual range. However, when the recipient enters into the domain of the thing itself, the thing does not take into account the observer and his limitations at all.

לְפִי [נוּסָּח אַחֵר: וּלְפִי] עֵרֶךְ הַמְרוּבִּים.

in accordance with (an alternative version: and in accordance with ) the worth of the many. The Mishna speaks not only of the individual, but about two people, three, five… who are sitting together learning. Every additional person brings extra value to the learning. Therefore, the illumination of reward that each person receives is not only commensurate to his own personal spiritual level, but is rather a product of the overall level of all the participants combined. Therefore, though they are not privy to the residing of the light of Ein Sof itself, they are not only receiving the limited illumination that they would if they were learning alone. The difference between the two versions is the "vav of conjunction," which means "and." The meaning of "according to the worth of the many," without the vav, is that when there is more than one person studying Torah together (but less than ten), every individual receives reward according to the overall value of the group. This reward increases as the number of people increase. The version that has a vav -of conjunction and reads "and in accordance with the many" implies that a person learning with a group reaps the reward of his own spiritual level and effort in addition to the reward of the group as a whole. Either way, the illumination of the reward is limited, in that it is allocated according to the spiritual level of the individual or the group.

אֲבָל לְעִנְיַן הַשְׁרָאַת קְדוּשַּׁת הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, אֵין לוֹ עֵרֶךְ אֲלֵיהֶם כְּלָל.

However, with regard to the manifestation of the sanctity of the Holy One, blessed be He, the individual has no worth in relation to the congregation at all. The revelation of God's all-encompassing essence that manifests particularly when ten people engage in Torah study together, is not commensurate with the spiritual or intellectual capacity of the individual or group of learners. The residing of the holiness of God is a revelation of the actual light of Ein Sof as explained above.

וְהַהֶפְרֵשׁ שֶׁבֵּין ‘הַשְׁרָאָה׳ לִ׳קְבִיעוּת שָׂכָר׳ מוּבָן לִמְבִינֵי מַדָּע, כִּי קְבִיעַת שָׂכָר הוּא שֶׁמֵּאִיר ה׳ לְנֶפֶשׁ תִּדְרְשֶׁנּוּ בְּאוֹר תּוֹרָתוֹ,

The difference between "manifestation" and "allocation of a reward" is comprehended by those who understand knowledge. For the allocation of a reward is that God illuminates upon the soul that seeks Him, with the light of His Torah, "Comprehended by those who understand knowledge" refers to anyone who engages in the deeper dimension of the Torah and is familiar with the basic distinction between concepts such as essence versus illumination and surrounding light versus inner light. The allocation of reward is the allotment of particular illumination from the light of the Torah that a person learned, that he can relate to. This allocation depends on the capacity of one's soul and faculties that the individual cultivated for himself, through his actions, degree of energy-investment, true desires and capacity for receiving.

שֶׁהוּא מַעֲטֶה לְבוּשׁוֹ מַמָּשׁ.

which is the actual covering of His garment. All light is a revelation, and every revelation is a type of garment of the one who is revealing Himself. The world is filled with lights that reveal every element of the universe, however, the light that reveals God is the light of the Torah. The Torah is the light which comprises the garment of God Himself. The world is filled with lights that express aspects of the Divine and crystalize to become every aspect of existence, yet the light that reveals God Himself is the light of the Torah.

וְלָכֵן נִקְרֵאת הַתּוֹרָה ‘אוֹר׳ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״עוֹטֶה אוֹר כַּשַּׂלְמָה״ (תהלים קד,ב).

Accordingly, the Torah is called "light," as it is stated, "Enveloping with light as though with a cloak" (Ps. 104:2). This is the light of divine essence. "The truth of the Lord is forever (Ps. 117:2)," besides for God, no other truth or reality exists. This is the One revealed through the Torah. The Torah is called light, because it is totally and utterly a revelation. Every other revelation is also a concealment. It reveals relative to the source, therefore, when one thing is revealed, another is concealed. This does not apply to the Torah, because it reveals the source of all sources, the truth that holds and encompasses everything, the revelation out of whose purview nothing lies; therefore, it is called "Light." Just like a garment conceals that which it covers, it also reveals an aspect of it. Similarly, the light of the Torah reveals to every person the infinite, limitless, God, in a revelation that is compatible with his level of awareness.

וְהַנֶּפֶשׁ הִיא בַּעֲלַת גְּבוּל וְתַכְלִית בְּכָל כֹּחוֹתֶיהָ,

The soul has defined limits to all of its strengths; One's intellectual faculties are limited in their cognitive and analytic capabilities; there is a limit to the number of concepts that a person can internalize in his lifetime. One's emotional faculties are also limited. Some highly intelligent people who are capable of grasping very abstract concepts lack the emotional intelligence to feel those concepts on an emotional level.

לָכֵן גַּם אוֹר ה׳ הַמֵּאִיר בָּהּ

therefore, the light of God that shines into it is also limited, constricted, and is enclothed within it. It is important to emphasize here that the light of the Torah, despite its being constricted more and more with each level that it descends, always remains the garment of light that enclothes God Himself. This is the power of the Torah, wherever and however it may express itself, it always reveals God's inner will (Ratzon ), true divine wisdom (Hokhma ).

וְעַל כֵּן יִתְפַּעֵל לֵב מְבַקְשֵׁי ה׳

Consequently, the hearts of those who seek the Lord are enthused When the light of God shines into the "soul that seeks Him" in the form of reward, within the capacity of the recipient, one's heart does not remain apathetic; it is aroused with love and fear for that which is being revealed to it. This is the meaning of this verse, that those who truly seek God are ultimately privy to the enthused heart.

בִּשְׁעַת הַתְּפִלָּה וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהּ.

at the time of prayer and the like. The time of prayer is generally the opportunity for a person to seek out God. "The time of prayer" does not just mean the hours of the prayer service, but rather, the entire picture: a settled mind at the opportune time, during the fitting order and version of prayer, articulating words that hold inspiring content. The heart that becomes enthused as it glimpses the light of God is not just a result of doing the right thing at the right time, even with the best of intentions, but rather, it is a gift from above, bestowed to him while being present in those circumstances. Someone who has cleared his head of extraneous thoughts, prepares himself to utter the words of the siddur with intention and deeply settles into prayer, will usually be blessed with an inspired his heart. The established prayer times are not the only times that one's heart can become enthused. True, the time of prayer is auspicious, this is why the sages established these times and infused the potential for powerful connection into the spiritual fabric of them. The power of the Jewish people lies in these set times, yet still, this concept of the enthused heart is essentially private and personal. Even the same person will experience this heartfelt feeling of inspiration differently depending on his life situation; where he happens to be and the state of his inner world at a given moment. It could be that today it was before the prayer service that a person felt moved when saying a certain psalm, or at any other time that he turned to truly face God. Naturally, it is a beautiful thing for one's heart to be stirred at any time, not necessarily during prayer, which is what these two words, "and the like" connote.

כִּי בוֹ יִשְׂמַח לִבָּם וְיָגֵיל אַף גִּילַת וְרַנֵּן,

For their hearts rejoice in it, and will be happy, even with joy and exaltation, This wording that includes several words for joy, appears in many places in the teachings of the author of the Tanya, and expresses various degrees of joy in the revelation of the light of God: "simḥa, gila, and rina." "Simḥa" is the joy of the revelation, because joy and revelation always go hand in hand; when there is joy there is revelation, when there is revelation there is joy. "Gila" is a deeper, concealed happiness that relates to the hidden layers of life that have not yet been revealed. And "rina" is the exaltation of yearning with perfect trust for the revelation of that which is totally hidden in darkness and concealment.

וְתִתְעַנֵּג נַפְשָׁם בְּנוֹעַם ה׳

and their souls will delight in the pleasantness of the Lord Elsewhere, in Iggerot Hakodesh, the author of the Tanya explains that "the pleasantness of the Lord" is the hidden light that God hid for the righteous in the world to come. It has this name because the experience of this revelation of divine light is a bliss that surpasses all the delights of this world. The sages say that in this light one can see from one end of the world to the other (Ḥagiga 12a ), meaning that the world and all of its noise do not conceal this light. To the contrary, in this light, every detail of life brightly shines with the revelation of its purpose. Anyone privy to reveling in the light of this divine perfection feels inexpressible euphoria.

[נוּסָּח אַחֵר: עַל ה']

(an alternative version: on the Lord) This alternate version emphasizes even more saliently the lesson that the author of the Tanya is imparting. The divine name used here, the name of Havaya, is the name of God that lends existence to everything. The phrase then reads "higher than the name of Havaya." This entails ascending to a realm next to God Himself, as it were, not as creator, which is a role that albeit all-powerful, still works within the parameters and therefore limitations of this world, but rather by the totally transcendent aspect of God, as explained above.

וְאוֹרוֹ, בְּהִגָּלוֹתוֹ מִמַּעֲטֵה לְבוּשׁוֹ שֶׁהִיא הַתּוֹרָה, ״וְיָצָא כַבָּרָק חִצּוֹ״ (זכריה ט,יד).

and His light, when it is revealed from the covering of His garment, which is the Torah; "and His arrow will emerge like the lightning" (Zech. 9:14). The garment of the Torah, like any garment, both reveals and conceals. Reveals, since it is only through the garment, its shapes and letters, that any glimmer of the light can be gleaned. Yet, it is the garment that appears outwardly, not the content. To the contrary, the content becomes more and more hidden the more garments are layered on top of it. The Torah, therefore, reveals most supernal content: God's desire and wisdom, His love and fear, yet in the garb of extremely worldly things such as an ox, a donkey, tzitzit and lulav. A person can therefore engage in Torah expressed in an ox, a donkey and a lulav, yet not feel the light and supreme love of God that is hidden there. Only a person for whom God "allocates reward" merits to see how these worldly phenomena are actually "the covering of His garment," revelation of divine light: Torah. When the divine light from within the garment of Torah bursts through to its learner, it is like to a bolt of lightning.

וְזוֹ הִיא קְבִיעַת שְׂכַר הַתּוֹרָה הַקְּבוּעָה תָּמִיד בְּנֶפֶשׁ עֲמֵלָה בָּהּ.

This is the allocation of the reward of the Torah, which is always established within the soul that labors in it. This particular illumination through the Torah-garment is the reward that is allocated to the learner that is totally dependent on him; he receives this reward, not only in the time to come, when there will be no more body and temporal world to limit that reward, but at any time, according to his degree of investment in Torah study. This is one of the essential emphases of the author of the Tanya and Hasidism in general: the reward of divine light is not just hidden for the future, and resigned to be the portion of only the greatest of tzaddikim, but rather is granted to any "soul that labors in it."

אֲבָל הַהַשְׁרָאָה הִיא הֶאָרָה עֲצוּמָה מֵאוֹר ה׳ הַמֵּאִיר בָּהּ בְּלִי גְּבוּל וְתַכְלִית,

However, the manifestation is an immense illumination from that light of God that shines in it without definition or limit, The residing of the Divine Presence, mentioned in the beginning, upon "ten [who] sit and engage in Torah study, applies particularly to ten people gathered together. In contrast to the allocation of reward, which is a limited illumination allotted according to the particular person's capacity so that he will feel, experience and be transformed through it, ten people together are privy to an indwelling of the Divine Presence that is absolutely boundless, and surpasses the soul's capacity to intellectually or emotionally grasp.

וְאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְהִתְלַבֵּשׁ בְּנֶפֶשׁ גְּבוּלִית,

and which cannot be enclothed in a limited soul, The residing of the Divine Presence cannot manifest in one's soul, because the soul has its limits. And the finite is incapable of containing the infinite.

כִּי אִם מַקִּיף עָלֶיהָ מִלְמַעְלָה,

but rather encompasses over it, the soul, from above, This illumination relates to us; if it does not penetrate, it surrounds. If it does not become enclothed, it enclothes.

מֵרֹאשָׁהּ וְעַד רַגְלָהּ,

from its head to its foot, The encompassing light does not relate to the details of the encompassed. From its perspective, there is no difference between head and foot; it affects everything equally. "Encompassing" does not mean that it exists externally and not internally, but rather, its essence transcends the division of levels that an "inner" illumination relates to, as explained at length in Likkutei Amarim, chap. 48. The "inner" illumination spans from the head to the foot, which represent the outer edges of it, from beginning to end, everything in between. There are wise people and people of low intelligence, there are rich people and poor people. However, when no distinction is made between levels of intelligence nor degrees of wealth, then, all are equally important, or equally unimportant. In this sense, the encompassing light exists totally equally in every part of the soul, yet is not grasped by any. This is the meaning of "encompasses over it from above, from its head to its foot."

כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חֲכָמֵינוּ ז״ל: ״אַכָּל בֵּי עֲשָׂרָה שְׁכִינְתָּא שָׁרְיָא״,

as our Rabbis said, "The Divine Presence dwells on any place where there are ten," that is, over them, from above, The author of the Tanya shows how the wording of the Talmud, "over," implies that the revelation of the Divine Presence is from above, not within, meaning that it is not comprehended or enclothed in any spiritual faculty of any person, because it transcends everyone's perception to an equal degree; the different levels of the people gathered do not make a difference. Therefore, the relation of the illumination to those ten is that it dwells from above.

כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: ״וִיהִי נוֹעַם ה׳ עָלֵינוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֵינוּ כּוֹנְנָה עָלֵינוּ״ (תהלים צ,יז). כְּלוֹמַר, כִּי נוֹעַם ה', אֲשֶׁר הוֹפִיעַ בְּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֵינוּ בְּעֵסֶק הַתּוֹרָה וְהַמִּצְוֹת –

as it is written, "May the graciousness of the Lord our God be upon us, establishing the work of our hands for us" (Ps. 90:17). In other words, that the graciousness of the Lord, which appeared through the work of our hands, through engagement in Torah and mitzvot – The graciousness of God is the supernal, quintessential, delight in which God Himself delights in Himself, a manifestation of the Divine that God hid because the world cannot yet endure it. Although this supernal pleasantness totally transcends the world, it also has a way of manifesting in the world: when the world serves as a tool for the performance of Torah and mitzvot. The Hebrew word for "world," olam, shares the same root letters as the Hebrew word for "hides," ma'alim. When the world is just a world it conceals the light of Ein Sof, and the pleasantness of God does not appear in it. However, when a Jew uses the world as a theatre for the performance of Torah and mitzvot, and turns the world into a vessel for the Divine, then it is no longer an obstinate obstacle standing in the way of spiritual connection, but rather reveals the pleasantness of God, that cannot manifest in any other way.

דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כּוֹלָּא חַד –

as the Torah and the Holy One, blessed be He, are entirely one – The Torah is unified with God in perfect, absolute unity. The Torah is not like an external garment, that while externally clothing its wearer, remains an independent item, but rather, like a garment that is not separate, and is one with the wearer.

יִתְכּוֹנֵן וְיִשְׁרֶה עָלֵינוּ מִלְמַעְלָה, לִהְיוֹתוֹ בְּלִי גְּבוּל וְתַכְלִית וְאֵינוֹ מִתְלַבֵּשׁ בְּנַפְשֵׁנוּ וְשִׂכְלֵנוּ. וְעַל כֵּן אֵין אָנוּ מַשִּׂיגִים בְּשִׂכְלֵנוּ הַנְּעִימוּת וְהָעֲרֵיבוּת מִנּוֹעַם ה׳ וְזִיו הַשְּׁכִינָה,

shall be established and reside over us from above, to be without defined limit, and not enclothed in our souls and our intellect. Therefore, we do not attain with our intellect the grace and pleasantness of

בְּלִי גְּבוּל וְתַכְלִית, אֲשֶׁר מִתְכּוֹנֵן וְשׁוֹרֶה עָלֵינוּ

the graciousness of the Lord and the radiance of the Divine Presence, without defined limit, which is established and resides over us

בְּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֵינוּ בַּתּוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹת בְּרַבִּים דַּוְקָא.

through the work of our hands, engaging in Torah and mitzvot particularly in a group. These are the three conditions that spark the wonderous connection between the actual, infinite, divine light of the pleasantness of God and us. The first is "through the work of our hands," through action. Action is the lowest rung of the worlds, and therefore has the power to reveal the highest encompassing light that transcends the intellect. Since action lies under the intellect's radar, so to speak, it is not limited by it. A person might not understand intellectually or emotionally why he did a certain mitzva. He does it only because he is obligated to, because he is simply fulfilling the will of God. The second is through Torah and mitzvot as explained above. And the third, through devotion in a group. For the encompassing light to relate to us, we must have something in common with it. So, while no physical or spiritual power can be more than it is alone, when people gather together for a common purpose, they manifest something that transcends the limitations of each individual. While this is not infinite, it still surpasses the finitude of each person. Every person who joins the group adds another dimension of the infinite, until it reaches the ultimate ten. Ten is the number of wholeness since it encompasses a full circle of the inner dimension. This is true in the "small world" of man, and the ten faculties of his being and how much more so in the world at large, when the ultimate wholeness manifests as ten people with their ten inner faculties joined together.

וְעַל זֶה אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ ז״ל (קידושין לט,ב): ״שְׂכַר מִצְוָה בְּהַאי עָלְמָא לֵיכָּא״,

Regarding this, our Rabbis said (Kiddushin 39b), "There is no reward for a mitzva in this world," In this world, the meaning and infinite divine delight in the performance of a mitzva, cannot be grasped. The reward and significance of a mitzva, "the pleasantness of the Lord," hidden within, are not circumscribed by the dimensions of this world, nor can they be comprehended or expressed by any definition or measure of our world. This is summed up by the author of the Tanya's reading of this Talmudic statement: the reward of a mitzva is not in this world.

כִּי אִי אֶפְשָׁר לְעוֹלָם לְהַשִּׂיגוֹ כִּי אִם בְּהִתְפַּשְּׁטוּת הַנֶּפֶשׁ מֵהַגּוּף,

for it is never possible to achieve it other than through the disrobing of the soul from the body, In this world the soul is clothed in a body, in which it thinks and feels. Consequently, as long as the soul is within the body and the physical world, sensing through them and thinking with their devices and concepts, it cannot attain the reward of the mitzva. It can achieve this only through the "disrobing" of the soul from the body, when it is freed from the restrictions of this world.

וְאַף גַּם זֹאת עַל דֶּרֶךְ הַחֶסֶד, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: ״וּלְךָ ה׳ חָסֶד כִּי אַתָּה תְשַׁלֵּם לְאִישׁ כְּמַעֲשֵׂהוּ״ (תהלים סב,יג),

and even then, only by way of kindness, as it is written, "Kindness is Yours, my Lord, for You render to every man according to his deeds" (Ps. 62:13), The reward that God grants for the mitzvot is an act of kindness. Although a reward is generally not considered a kindness, since one is entitled to remuneration for his work, by right and not as kindness or a gift, nevertheless, the divine reward for the mitzvot is always bestowed by way of kindness as well.

וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ ז״ל (סנהדרין ק,ב), שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא נוֹתֵן כֹּחַ בַּצַּדִּיקִים כו׳.

as our Rabbis said , that the Holy One, blessed be He, provides strength to the righteous to receive their reward" (Sanhedrin 100b). It is in fact in order to receive his reward that man requires God's kindness. The practical performance of the mitzva can be performed by a person even if he does not understand or sense what he is doing, which means that in effect one can do something that has no obvious value to him. To the contrary, it is sometimes precisely one's lack of comprehension and connection to what he is doing, that enables him to carry it out. The same cannot be said with regard to receiving the reward, which is comprised of one's understanding and sense of the purpose of the mitzva he has done. Here, there must be some sort of correspondence between a person's ability to understand, and what he receives. Since the purpose of the mitzva is God's will and pleasure, which are infinite, whereas the human soul, even when it is divested from the body, still exists within certain boundaries, it is not enough to receive the reward to which one is entitled; rather, God's kindness is required. In other words, one is in need of a kindness that will open up the capacities of the soul, not merely in accordance with the value of its actions, but corresponding to the infinite value of the meaning of the mitzva and its purpose. In general, whenever a relationship is attained between the infinite and the finite, between the unlimited existence of the Divine and mortal beings, this is necessarily achieved through the kindness of God. After all, no creatures can bridge this gap, and jump from the finite to the infinite. This can be done only through God's kindness. Only He gave us the Torah and the mitzvot and He alone provides us with the strength to receive its reward.

מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן בַּמַּלְאָכִים,

This is not the case with regard to the angels, The angels have not been granted any ability beyond their capacities. The reason is that the angels do not deal directly with the infinite, but always the rank above them in the progression of levels. Unlike the soul, an angel cannot breach the progression of levels, because he himself is part of that progression. The soul, whose root lies above the progression of levels – despite the fact that its current position on the progression might be lower than that of an angel – can therefore relate to the existence of the infinite that is above everything, and occasionally even experience it. This is not true for an angel, as his whole essence belongs to that progression – he is the expression of a level, and an agent, an entity that transmits from one level to another.

כְּמוֹ שֶׁשָּׁמַעְתִּי מֵרַבּוֹתַי, כִּי אִילּוּ נִמְצָא מַלְאָךְ אֶחָד עוֹמֵד בְּמַעֲמַד עֲשָׂרָה מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל בְּיַחַד, אַף שֶׁאֵינָם מְדַבְּרִים בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה, תִּפּוֹל עָלָיו אֵימָתָה וָפַחַד בְּלִי גְּבוּל וְתַכְלִית, מִשְּׁכִינְתָּא דְּשָׁרְיָא עֲלַיְיהוּ,

as I heard from my rabbis, that, were a single angel standing present in a gathering of ten Jews together, even if they were not conversing in Torah matters, he would be gripped by endless, limitless dread and fear of the Divine Presence that resides over them, "My rabbis" refers to the Ba'al Shem Tov and the Maggid of Mezeritch. As explained, the Divine Presence that resides over those ten members of Israel is an illumination and revelation from the all-encompassing Divine Presence that is beyond them, which transcends the entire progression of levels. An angel, whose entire essence lies within his place in that progression of levels, cannot bear such a revelation. Although an angel may not see beyond himself, he clearly perceives the place where he is located, and feels all the love or awe that belongs to that revelation. An angel cannot help but see and feel, because this is the essence of an angel – the emotional expression, etc., of the place where he is situated. In this sense, the resting of the Divine Presence upon ten Jews would be "unnatural" for an angel, as it is the entry of the infinite into his defined and revealed world. Therefore, "he would be gripped by dread and fear of undefined limit," on account of that which cannot be seen and felt, that which would tear him and his whole world apart.

עַד שֶׁהָיָה מִתְבַּטֵּל מִמְּצִיאוּתוֹ לְגַמְרֵי.

until his existence would be entirely subsumed. The entire existence of an angel is a precisely demarcated boundary and limit of love and awe, etc. Dread and the fear of undefined limit would nullify his reality entirely. Having provided a hasidic interpretation of the Mishna: "Ten who are sitting and engaged with the Torah, the Divine Presence rests amongst them," the author of the Tanya can now turn to the practical ramifications of his conclusions.

וְעַל כֵּן רַע בְּעֵינַי הַמַּעֲשֶׂה אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה תַּחַת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ,

Accordingly, the act that is performed under the sun is evil in my eyes, This is a paraphrase of Ecclesiastes 2:17. The expression "under the sun" is mentioned here in connection to the statement of the Sages that all the affairs of this world are "under the sun," meaning that there is no gain to be had from them or meaning in their toil, whereas words of Torah are "above the sun." If so, he is saying that what those members of the ten Jews in the synagogue are doing is "evil in my eyes," since instead of engaging in Torah they are occupied with matters of this world, which are "under the sun."

בִּכְלָל, וּבִפְרָט בֵּין אַחַיי וְרֵעַיי,

in general, and especially amongst my brethren and friends, The phrase "in general" means "for any Jew who acts in this manner," while "my brethren and friends" are the hasidim, especially those who are close to him, who are like his brethren with respect to the service of God, and who should therefore be attentive to these matters. These "brethren and friends" should be so close to him in heart and mind that even when they are not explicitly told what to do and how, they should still come to this realization of their own accord. Here too, as we will see below, the issue is not prayer itself, but the less clearly-defined margins of the service. In general, the informal service of God, in those places and times where there is no clear-cut obligation to perform a mitzva, pray, or study, is something that Hasidism has always emphasized and reinforced. Therefore, such behavior is especially bad in his eyes when it comes from the hasidim who are "my brethren and friends."

הַנִּגָּשִׁים אֶל ה׳ – הַגָּשָׁה זוֹ תְּפִלָּה –

who approach the Lord – "approaching" means prayer – For them, prayer is truly an act of approaching the Lord. In other words, they performed the service of the soul through prayer, as the author of the Tanya demanded from his hasidim, and as explained elsewhere.

וְאַחַר הַתְּפִלָּה אוֹ לְפָנֶיהָ

and yet after the prayer, or before it, The problem is what happens after prayer. True, at the time of prayer they indeed prayed, and even focused on the work of prayer. But what happens following prayer, or before it? Everyone knows and talks about prayer. During prayers one must pray. However, the main issue lies in the margins of prayer – before and after it, when there are no compulsory, defined boundaries – and it is this that he wishes to discuss.

נַעֲשָׂה מוֹשַׁב לֵצִים רַחֲמָנָא לִיצְּלָן,

a company of scoffers is formed, God save us, as our Rabbis said, "If two are sitting and there are no words of Torah between them this is a company of scoffers" (Avot 3:2). "Scoffing" refers to those who mock and laugh at everything. Nothing can withstand such an attitude. The real problem of scoffing is the removal of the yolk of Heaven. There is nothing wrong with people being happy; on the contrary, joy is a great virtue in the service of God and in all realms of life. The issue is when the joy comes with the removal of the burden of the fear of God. It is then an "open" joy, without limits, because the removal of the burden itself consists of the breaking of all boundaries. In this sense, when Jews meet in a holy place, on a solemn occasion, and yet they do not actively accept the yoke of the kingdom of Heaven upon them, by this neglect alone they have removed the burden of the fear of God from upon themselves.

וְאִם נַעֲשָׂה מוֹשַׁב לֵצִים בַּעֲשָׂרָה דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא שָׁרְיָא עֲלַיְיהוּ,

And if a company of scoffers is formed in the presence of ten, upon whom the Divine Presence resides, Two people can already be considered "a company of scoffers," since an interpersonal connection is formed between them, which goes beyond the boundaries of a single person. However, when ten are together, there is a greater degree of the realm of the beyond; there is the presence of the One who is beyond, the real presence of "the Divine Presence that resides over them." The severity of this company of scoffers, and the damage it causes, is accordingly far more significant, as the author of the Tanya proceeds to explain:

אֵין לְךָ עֶלְבּוֹנָא וּקְלָנָא דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא גָּדוֹל מִזֶּה, רַחֲמָנָא לִיצְּלָן.

you have no greater insult and shaming of the Divine Presence than that, God save us. Ten Jews who are sitting together, and who form a company of scoffers, even if they do not violate a single one of the 613 mitzvot, are thereby ignoring the Divine Presence that resides over them. In interpersonal relations, there is no greater insult than ignoring someone's presence; even if he is beaten, insulted and mocked, they are at least acknowledging his existence, but if he is completely ignored, there is no greater affront than that.

וְאִם אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ ז״ל (קידושין לא,א) עַל הָעוֹבֵר עֲבֵירָה בַּסֵּתֶר שֶׁדּוֹחֵק רַגְלֵי הַשְּׁכִינָה חַס וְשָׁלוֹם,

If our Rabbis said (Kiddushin 31a) regarding one who commits a transgression in private, that he pushes away the feet of the Divine Presence, God forbid, The assumption of one who commits a transgression in private is that there, at least, God does not see him. Accordingly, he is considered to be "pushing away the feet of the Divine Presence" from that place; he is performing an action that, apart from its immediate effect, rids that corner of the presence of God. Although the plain meaning of "in private" is away from people, nevertheless, the fact that he would not have committed the transgression if people could have seen him shows that the yoke of Heaven is still upon him, that he still fears God to a certain extent. It is important to him that people do not think of him as wicked, or at least, someone who would perform that sin. This means that in his heart he thinks that being evil is repulsive, and that it is praiseworthy to be righteous. Therefore, he is described as "pushing away the feet of the Divine Presence," with "feet" referring to the level of action alone, in contrast to the "body," which represents the emotions of the soul, and the "head," which is the level of the intellect. Thus, one who transgresses in private – a little, temporarily, but not on a regular basis – his heart and head are not in the act, and he is certainly not rebelling against God or removing the yolk of Heaven.

הָעוֹבֵר עֲבֵירָה בָּרַבִּים – דּוֹחֵק כָּל שִׁיעוּר קוֹמָה שֶׁל יוֹצֵר בְּרֵאשִׁית כִּבְיָכוֹל.

yet one who commits a transgression in public pushes away the whole stature of the Fashioner of creation, as it were. This is not the case for one who commits a transgression in public. When someone does something, not only on the level of action – with his "feet" – but with his entire stature, he thereby pushes away the whole stature of the "Fashioner of creation." "The stature of the Fashioner of creation" is a concept that appears in the early hasidic texts and works of kabbalists. It refers to the entire world, or, to put it another way, all the divine forces (the ten sefirot ) that constitute and sustain the world. The term "stature" is metaphorically related to the stature of man: His head, body, legs, etc., for man is a "microcosm," who was formed "in the image of God." Like the stature of man, "the stature of the "Fashioner of creation" also includes a head, body, feet, and so forth. This stature is a concept that humans can grasp, and whose totality they can appreciate even with regard to God – "the entire stature" – and thus they can also comprehend the depth of the evil of "pushing away the whole stature." From a different perspective, one who sins in public is considered to be pushing away the whole stature of the Creator, so to speak, because the public represents the totality of Israel, the Divine Presence, and thus in essence "the whole stature of the Fashioner of creation." As stated elsewhere, some souls are considered the "head" while others are the legs, and so on, such that the totality of the souls of Israel (in each generation) constitute a whole stature. This entire stature, although it basically refers to the people of Israel, on a deeper level, is "the whole stature of the Fashioner of creation." Accordingly, one who commits a transgression in public, who does not care about those Jews who are "the feet" or those who are the "heads" of Israel, is considered as though he is pushing God away from the full extent of His presence in the world.

כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ ז״ל: ״אֵין אֲנִי וְהוּא וכו׳״

As our rabbis said, "Any person who has arrogance within him, the Holy One, Blessed be He, says,'He and I cannot dwell together in the world. (Sota 5a).'" God is the infinite One, in every aspect and every place, in general and in particular. He fills all spaces, absolutely; nothing else can serve as a partner to Him, not even in terms of existing in the same place. When a person has arrogance within him, and thinks he is somebody important, it is as though he is removing God from that place, as it were.

אֶלָּא שֶׁ״מֶלֶךְ אָסוּר בָּרְהָטִים״ (שיר השירים ז,ו) כו׳.

only that "the king is bound in the chambers" (Song. 7:6)… These "chambers," as explained in the Zohar and mentioned elsewhere in the Tanya, are "the rushing thoughts of the mind's chambers." The verse "the king is bound in the chambers" expresses the absurdity of the Divine Presence in exile. The exile of the Divine Presence means that it is present even where people "push away the feet of the Divine Presence," even in that very place where "He and I cannot dwell together in the world." Nevertheless, it does not depart from that place, as otherwise it could not exist. According to hasidic teachings, the reason for this state of affairs is that "the King is bound in the chambers." In other words, it is as though the King, which is Malkhut, the Divine Presence, has bound and tied Himself to the thoughts of man, with the commitment that wherever the thoughts of man go, the Divine Presence will follow and be there. God created man with free choice, in a world that is an "entity" of its own, separate from God, as it were. This is all based on that pledge, by which He binds himself to the thoughts of man, meaning that whatever he thinks and whatever he does – God will be there to fulfill it. This is true to such an extent that a person can push Him out, deny His existence, at the very moment that God is within him, giving him life, and his imaginary world from absolute nothingness.

אֲבָל וַוי לְמַאן דְּדָחֲקִין לִשְׁכִינְתָּא כַּד יוֹקִים לָהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וְיֵימָא לָהּ: ״הִתְנַעֲרִי מֵעָפָר קוּמִי וגו׳״ (ישעיה נב,ב).

But woe to one who pushes away the Divine Presence, when the Holy One, blessed be He, will raise it up and say to it, "shake off the dust, arise…," (Is. 52:2). During the exile, it is as though "the King who is bound in the chambers" has undertaken not to react even when people rebel against Him, even when He is disrespected. However, when the exile ends and God will raise the Divine Presence from the dust, woe to those who brought down and pushed away the Divine Presence. It is not a vengeance that God will wreak, but rather, when the Divine Presence shakes off the dust of God's concealment, the person who pushed the Divine Presence down, will be gripped with fear, when he will see the extent of the damage he caused. Woe to him for that shame, woe to him for that fear.

וְעַל תְּלָת מִילִּין מִתְעַכְּבֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגָלוּתָא: עַל דְּדָחֲקִין לִשְׁכִינְתָּא וְעַל דְּעָבְדִין קְלָנָא בִּשְׁכִינְתָּא וכו׳,

It is due to three things that Israel are detained in exile: For pushing away the Divine Presence; for shaming the Divine Presence…, as written in the holy Zohar . These are not the exact words of the Zohar, but a similar idea does appear there. These three things, on account of which the Divine Presence remains in exile, are not sins that are enumerated in the Shulḥan Arukh, but general categories of attitudes – ignorance, contempt and affronts – that can come with or without an actual sin. As described here, when ten Jews are sitting alongside each other, by virtue of their very gathering together, the Divine Presence resides over them, not in theory, but literally, such that anyone who saw it would tremble to his core. But if those Jews not only do not receive the inspiration of the Divine Presence by engaging in matters of holiness such as studying as a group of ten, but they even focus on other, mundane matters, there is no greater insult to the Divine Presence. The Divine Presence, Malkhut, has descended through innumerable levels from its place of glory and is now standing over them, declaring "I have come," and yet they pay no attention.

עַל כֵּן אֲהוּבַיי אַחַיי וְרֵעַיי,

Therefore, my beloved ones, my brethren and friends, As stated, this matter is especially serious when it involves "my brethren and friends." For those who are not sensitive and are unaware that the Divine Presence is here, it is not such an affront. However, when it comes to the hasidim who have been trained in this regard, "my brethren and friends," such conduct is insulting both to the Rebbe and to the Divine Presence. Here is where the danger lies, and these are the ones whom he proceeds to warn:

אַל נָא תָּרֵעוּ הָרָעָה הַגְּדוֹלָה הַזֹּאת, וּתְנוּ כָּבוֹד לַה׳ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, בְּטֶרֶם יַחְשִׁךְ, דְּהַיְינוּ בֵּין מִנְחָה לְמַעֲרִיב כָּל יְמוֹת הַחוֹל לִלְמוֹד בַּעֲשָׂרָה פְּנִימִיּוּת הַתּוֹרָה,

please do not perform this great evil, but give honor to the Lord your God before it grows dark; that is, between the afternoon prayer and the evening prayer on all weekdays, to study in a gathering of ten the esoteric meaning of the Torah, "My brethren and friends please do not perform this great evil," of engaging in idle chatter before and after prayer, as mentioned, "but give honor to the Lord your God," by focusing on Torah, the service of God, and matters of Heaven. This is the opposite of a company of scoffers, which lacks honor and brings disgrace. The period between the afternoon prayer and the evening prayer, "before it grows dark," is specified because it is a convenient time for such affairs. People have prayed the afternoon prayer in a gathering of ten and are waiting for it to get dark, without dispersing, in order to pray the evening prayer. This is the time when a holy minyan can turn into a company of scoffers. The Divine Presence that resides upon ten Jews, as stated, demands its expression and revelation, as otherwise the Divine Presence is dishonored. The manifestation and revelation of this holiness is now expressed through the study of the Torah by those ten individuals. What should they study? "The esoteric meaning of the Torah," rather than its revealed teachings. The revealed part of the Torah is when it enclothes itself in the lower world, in the material world of Asiya that is revealed to us. For we, as soul within bodies, live in the world of physical activity, we feel and think in it. When the Torah is enclothed in these matters, in the practical halakhot, this is the revealed aspect of the Torah. By contrast, the esoteric meaning of the Torah consists of that layer of the Torah which is enclothed mainly in the lofty spiritual worlds, whose meaning concerns the inner parts of the soul. It is not enclothed in our lives in this world but in the separate life of the soul, which touches the Divine itself – those aspects that penetrate our consciousness, our lives, to each individual in accordance with his capacity to receive it, his sensitivity, his knowledge and his deeds. These are the revelations of the inner essence of the soul and the Divine that surrounds our lives. We can thus understand why the author of the Tanya instructs the ten to study the esoteric meaning of the Torah, as it draws down the all- encompassing revelation, the resting of the Divine Presence from above, upon those ten, which penetrates the world and all souls.

שֶׁהִיא אַגָּדָה שֶׁבְּסֵפֶר עֵין יַעֲקֹב.

which is the aggada of the book Ein Yaakov . Ein Yaakov is a collection of all the aggadic portions of the Talmud. At the time, the book was popular in most Jewish communities and it was studied even by simple Jews, ordinary folk who were not versed in the study of the Talmud. They would read it during the times and occasions discussed here, "between the weekday afternoon prayer and the evening prayer," in a gathering of ten Jews who were anyway in the synagogue waiting for the evening prayer. The author of the Tanya is thus not trying to start a new custom, but reinforcing an already existing one, while offering another layer of meaning to it.

שֶׁרוֹב סוֹדוֹת הַתּוֹרָה גְּנוּזִין בָּהּ,

For most of the secrets of the Torah are hidden within it, The revealed part of the Talmud discloses the divine will and wisdom that is enclothed in this material world, how exactly one should perform the mitzvot, whereas the aggadot of the Talmud reveal and allude to the esoteric meaning of the Torah. This profound, inner meaning, which is more revealed in the upper worlds, is hidden in this world within the teachings of the aggadot, mussar, and the wondrous stories. These do not offer practical guidance, but they touch upon the soul, from the most accessible statements to those that are virtually incomprehensible. This is where the "secrets of the Torah" are preserved. A real secret is not something that one hides away, so that it will never be told, but rather something that intrinsically cannot be revealed in this specific place, due to its essential significance. The same applies to the "secrets of the Torah" – they cannot be disclosed in this world of practicality, but as the soul ascends from one level to another they are gradually revealed, thereby transforming from a secret into a lived reality. The "aggada of the book Ein Yaakov " is accessible to all people, both because these volumes were available and studied in synagogues, and, mainly, because they are expressed in a language and context which everyone can understand to a certain extent. Works of Kabbala, which deal openly with the esoteric teachings of the Torah, are not suitable for everyone. Their secrets are made explicit; they are not enclothed in matters of this world, and therefore it is evident that there is a secret here, and yet, as the initiated are aware, this secret can be understood only by those who are wise and understand of their own accord, who are engaged in and live in these levels. This is not the case for the rabbinic midrashim of Ein Yaakov, where the secrets are mostly concealed within an apparently clear meaning that relates to this world. Even if the meaning, or part of it, is not entirely grasped, nevertheless its revealed aspects still affect the soul.

וּמְכַפֶּרֶת עֲוֹנוֹתָיו שֶׁל אָדָם, כַּמְּבוֹאָר בְּכִתְבֵי הָאֲרִיזַ״ל.

and it atones for a person's transgressions, as explained in the writings of the Arizal. The esoteric meaning of the Torah concerns the inner aspect of halakhot (the reasons behind the mitzvot). On this level, which precedes the mitzva's crystallization into physical terms in the world of action, one can still change oneself. Thus, if one has committed sins, but still has a handle on the esoteric meaning of the Torah, the inner aspect of what he has failed to implement in practice, he retains the ability, if he engages in them intellectually and spiritually, to achieve some sort of atonement for his transgressions. Whoever grasps the esoteric meaning of the Torah thereby adds depth and breadth to the act of a mitzva, which can both repair defects within the realm of action and also cause new deeds to burgeon forth. It is unclear where this is explained in the writings of the Arizal. For a related idea, see Mishnat Ḥasidim, Masekhet HaShekiva, 1:3: "It is proper to study something that atones for a person's sins, and in which most of the secrets of the Torah are hidden, and that is aggada, etc." See the Tanya im Likkut Peirushim ["The Tanya with a collection of commentaries"], which cites other sources, although those are not from the writings of the Arizal.

וְהַנִּגְלוֹת שֶׁבָּהּ הֵן דַּרְכֵי ה׳ שֶׁיֵּלֵךְ בָּהֶם הָאָדָם,

Its revealed teachings are the paths of God which a person should follow, This is referring particularly to the aggadot of the Talmud. They have a revealed layer of meaning, which include words of advice and mussar, some of which are stated explicitly while others can be inferred from the stories of the forefathers of the nation or the Sages in general. They are called "revealed" because they have a direct impact on actual human behavior. They teach "the paths of God" that go beyond the list of mitzvot, including the gaps between the mitzvot, all those aspects of life where no express mitzva is performed, in which one only prepares for a mitzva. For it is only through this complimentary divine service, that a person can truly walk in the path of God, fully and all the time. If all a person has are the halakhot, where will he get the strength to maintain them? What will he do with himself when he is not actively engaged in a mitzva? And while he is dealing with a mitzva, what will he do with his soul?

וְיָשִׁית עֵצוֹת בְּנַפְשׁוֹ בְּמִילֵּי דִשְׁמַיָּא וּבְמִילֵּי דְעָלְמָא, וְכַיָּדוּעַ לְכָל חַכְמֵי לֵב.

and he should devise counsels within his soul, in both matters of heaven and worldly matters, as is known to all the wise of heart. The material that a person studies from aggadic sources will help him both in matters of heaven – Torah and prayer – and worldly matters, in his relations with his friends, his work, his body, and so forth. To an even greater extent than words of halakha, the aggadot of the Talmud and all their commentaries are not enough by themselves for one to grasp and understand their message. The only counsel for this is the wisdom of the heart. This applies both to rabbis and people of influence everywhere, when it comes to influencing others and giving advice; wisdom of the heart is needed so that one can truthfully internalize the ideas.

וְגַם לִלְמוֹד מְעַט בְּ׳שׁוּלְחָן עָרוּךְ׳ ‘אוֹרַח חַיִּים׳ הֲלָכוֹת הַצְּרִיכוֹת לְכָל אָדָם,

They should also learn a little Shulḥan Arukh , Oraḥ Ḥayyim , those halakhot that are essential for all people. The Shulḥan Arukh, with its commentaries, is a book of halakhic rulings, a practical summary of the entire progression of the Halakha, formulated as instructions on what a contemporary person is required to do. The Oraḥ Ḥayyim section of the Shulḥan Arukh deals with halakhot that are within the sphere of all people, in contrast to the other sections, which focus on less common matters and which are mainly the concern of halakhic authorities and the courts.

וְעַל זֶה אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ ז״ל: ״כָּל הַשּׁוֹנֶה הֲלָכוֹת בְּכָל יוֹם כו׳״,

Regarding this, our Rabbis said, "Whoever studies halakhot every day he is guaranteed that he is destined for the World to Come" (Megilla 28b). It is considered so worthwhile to review halakhot every day that in the merit of this practice one is guaranteed a share in the World to Come. In other words, this act alone gives such value to one's life that it is considered significant and valuable in the next world as well – an eternal value, unlimited in time and in any world.

שֶׁהֵן הֲלָכוֹת בְּרוּרוֹת וּפְסוּקוֹת הֲלָכָה לְמַעֲשֶׂה, כַּמְּבוֹאָר בְּפֵירוּשׁ רַשִׁ"י ז"ל שָׁם (בנידה עג,א).

For those halakhot referred to there are the clear, decided halakhot for practical implementation, as explained in Rashi's commentary there (Nidda 73a). That is, they offer a summary and ruling of the halakha in practice, without the reason for the halakhot and without the debate between the various opinions amongst the Sages and the ruling authorities. The ruling of the halakha is the revelation of the divine will itself, which is above everything. All the stages of the halachic discussion are part of the enclothing of the will in the level of Ḥokhma – the reason behind them, how they are formulated, and so on and so forth, but the supreme will itself, which is above all the worlds, is found solely in the ruling of the halakha. It is specifically in this manner that the halakha expresses the separateness and eternity of the divine will, and in a certain sense of the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself, within the worlds. It should be noted that he is not referring here to halakhot in general, but to the review of those halakhot that all people require, which are those that appear mainly in Shulḥan Arukh, Oraḥ Ḥayyim. On a basic level, this is because such halakhot provide the additional advantage of study that leads to action, the practical knowledge of what one is required to do. On a deeper level, this constitutes a further extension of the drawing down of the supreme will into our space and time, into the very act that one must perform right now.

וּבְשַׁבָּת קֹדֶשׁ בַּעֲלוֹת הַמִּנְחָה יַעַסְקוּ בְּהִלְכוֹת שַׁבָּת, כִּי ‘הִלְכְתָא רַבְּתָא לְשַׁבְּתָא׳ וּבְקַל יָכוֹל הָאָדָם לִיכָּשֵׁל בָּהּ חַס וְשָׁלוֹם,

And on the holy Shabbat, at the time of the afternoon prayer, they should engage in the halakhot of Shabbat, as "Shabbat has great halakhot ," over which a person can easily stumble, God forbid, This refers to the period before or after the afternoon prayer of Shabbat. The expression "Shabbat has great halakhot " means that the laws of Shabbat are numerous and complex, such that people are unaware of all the problems and prohibitions they might encounter over the course of every Shabbat. On Shabbat we adjust almost every aspect of our behavior from the weekdays; it is the halakhot of Shabbat that dictate these changes. One who does not know the halakhot, and continues to act on Shabbat as on the weekdays, is liable to violate serious Shabbat prohibitions.

אֲפִילּוּ בְּאִיסּוּר כָּרֵת וּסְקִילָה, מֵחֶסְרוֹן יְדִיעָה,

even over a prohibition that entails excision or stoning, due to lack of knowledge, Even if one is not literally liable to stoning, as that entails a willful act in the presence of witnesses and after a warning has been issued, but rather he transgresses "due to lack of knowledge," the prohibition against desecrating Shabbat is nevertheless one of the most severe prohibitions of the Torah, for which one can – under certain conditions – be held liable for excision or stoning. While in other areas of life, Jews are typically aware of such serious prohibitions and keep far away from them, since the prohibitions of Shabbat involve the same actions that one performs every day in a permitted manner, if one does not learn the halakhot, he will not have sufficient knowledge to avoid stumbling in severe transgressions.

וְשִׁגְגַת תַּלְמוּד עוֹלָה זָדוֹן, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם.

and an error in Talmud is considered intentional, God forbid. In general, a lack of knowledge of a halakha renders one exempt from punishment – one who does not know that something is forbidden is considered an unwitting sinner, who is not as liable to punishment as a willful transgressor. Nevertheless, since the knowledge itself is mandatory, meaning, one is obligated to learn the halakha, it follows that if one lacks knowledge because he could have learned and yet failed to do so, he is considered a willful sinner from a certain perspective. For even if he did not perform the act itself deliberately, his neglect of study was intentional, and this colors the act as well.

וְאֵין צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר בְּאִיסּוּרֵי דִּבְרֵי סוֹפְרִים שֶׁרַבּוּ כְּמוֹ רַבּוּ לְמַעְלָה,

There is no need to say that the same can be said of rabbinic prohibitions, of which there are very many more, If one can err with regard to severe Torah prohibitions, which are the main part of the halakhot of Shabbat, he is all the more liable to make a mistake when it comes to the prohibitions of the Sages, which are decrees and safeguards that were added to the basic halakhot. These are extremely numerous in the case of Shabbat, and many are not even aware of their existence.

וּבִפְרָט בְּאִיסּוּרֵי מוּקְצֶה, דִּשְׁכִיחֵי טוּבָא, וַחֲמוּרִים דִּבְרֵי סוֹפְרִים יוֹתֵר מִדִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה,

and especially with regard to the prohibitions of muktze , which are highly common; and rabbinic prohibitions are more severe than Torah matters, Every person encounters prohibitions of muktze, which are of rabbinic origin, every Shabbat. One of the reasons for these prohibitions is that they keep a person far from his regular weekday preoccupations, thereby creating the internal sense and atmosphere of Shabbat. Thus, by definition the prohibitions of muktze typically involve one's immediate surroundings, and if one is unaware of them, he is liable to violate them. One should not take rabbinic prohibitions lightly, merely because they are not from the Torah, as they are even more precious to God than the words of Torah, and therefore, we too must treat them no less stringently.

כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ ז״ל,

as our Rabbis said, that whoever violates the words of the Sages, even with regard to a light prohibition of theirs, such as one who eats before the evening prayer and the like, is liable to death like one who transgressions the most severe prohibitions of the Torah. The Sages decreed that one should not eat before the evening prayer, in case he falls asleep for the night and fails to pray. Although the transgression of a rabbinic prohibition such as this is considered lighter than violating a Torah command – as it is merely a safeguard and an adjunct to an actual Torah prohibition – nevertheless, the principle that one may not violate the words of the Sages is considered very severe, and is itself a prohibition from the Torah, for which one can, under certain circumstances, be rendered liable for death.

וְכָל יָחִיד אַל יִפְרוֹשׁ עַצְמוֹ מִן הַצִּיבּוּר, אֲפִילּוּ לִלְמוֹד עִנְיָן אַחֵר, כִּי אִם בְּדָבָר שֶׁהַצִּיבּוּר עֲסוּקִין בּוֹ.

No individual may separate himself from the community, even to study a different matter, other than that in which the community is engaged. This is referring to the group of ten Jews who are studying between the afternoon prayer and the evening prayer. It includes not only one who separates himself from Torah study completely, in order to focus on other matters, but "even to study a different matter." It is true that each session of Torah study, on every topic and by all people, in private or public, has value, but this letter is dealing with the special status of communal Torah study. In the particular situation described here, when a person is part of a community that is studying together, the virtue of public study is pivotal. The power of the community is always far greater than that of an individual who is part of the community. Whoever the individual may be, the public of which he forms a part will raise anything he does beyond his own limited reach. Therefore, in this situation one should not withdraw from the public to learn alone, but rather he should study together with the community.

וְאֵין צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר שֶׁלֹּא יֵצֵא הַחוּצָה אִם לֹא יִהְיוּ עֲשָׂרָה מִבַּלְעָדוֹ, וְעָלָיו אֲנִי קוֹרֵא הַפָּסוּק: ״וְעוֹזְבֵי ה׳ יִכְלוּ כו׳״ (ישעיה א, כח).

Needless to say, he may not go outside, if there will not be ten left without him, and to him I apply the verse, "And those who forsake the Lord will perish…" (Is. 1:28). If one leaves a group of exactly ten people, he has disbanded the "quorum," the minyan, and thus he has not only lost out himself, but he has caused others to miss out as well, since there will no longer be the same lofty revelation above the minyan. A person who forsakes it, who fails to maintain and thereby spoils the minyan, is compared to one who forsakes the Lord. As stated at the beginning of the letter, "ten who are sitting and engaged with the Torah, the Divine Presence rests amongst them." The Divine Presence is there, and thus one who leaves has in a literal sense, abandoned God.

כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ ז״ל (ברכות כא,ב) עַל כָּל דָּבָר שֶׁבִּקְדוּשָּׁה, כִּי אֵין קְדוּשָּׁה כִּקְדוּשַּׁת הַתּוֹרָה, דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כּוֹלָּא חַד.

As our Rabbis said , "for any expression of sanctity may not be [said in a quorum of] fewer than ten (Berakhot 21b)," as there is no sanctity like the sanctity of the Torah, since the Torah and the Holy One, blessed be He, are entirely one. The simple intention of this statement refers to, according to halakha, those sections of prayer that can be recited only in a quorum of ten Jews. These are called "expressions of sanctity," such as Kaddish, Kedusha, and Borkhu. However, beyond the compulsory meaning of the halakha, one can extend this concept to include all matters of holiness, including the study of the Torah, that they are also an "expression of sanctity." The holy, truly separate One, is God alone; there is nothing else in Judaism that is holy. Any other sanctity to which one might refer, such as the holiness of the Jewish People and the holiness of the Land of Israel, are sacred only due to their connection to God Himself. In this regard, there is nothing that is more connected to, unified with, and representative of God, than the Torah itself, as formulated in the saying quoted here: "The Torah and the Holy One, blessed be He, are entirely one." It is of course permitted, and even a mitzva, to learn Torah when one is not in a group of ten, but there is no doubt that the Torah study of ten has special value, in that it fully expresses the concept of holiness.

וְכָל הַפּוֹרֵשׁ מִן הַצִּיבּוּר כו׳ וְ״שׁוֹמֵעַ לִי יִשְׁכּוֹן בֶּטַח״ (משלי א,לג), וּבְיָמָיו וּבְיָמֵינוּ ״תִּוָּשַׁע יְהוּדָה וִירוּשָׁלַיִם תִּשְׁכּוֹן לָבֶטַח״ (ירמיה לג,טז), אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן.

And whoever separates from the community will not see the consolation of the community" (see Ta'anit 11a), "but one who heeds me will reside securely" (Prov. 1:33), and in his days and ours, "Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will dwell in security" (Jer. 33:16; see also 23:6), amen, so may it be God's will. One who does not pray and study with the community will not be alongside them to receive the influence from above either, as only the community can receive it. The converse is also the case – one who does pray and study together with the community, who "heeds me," he "and Jerusalem will dwell in security." This mention of the future redemption in the context of one who does not separate himself from the community is a kind of continuation of the statement from Ta'anit, as the Talmud there proceeds to add: "Anyone who is distressed together with the community will merit seeing the consolation of the community." The connection between this letter and the future redemption can be explained in light of its earlier statement on the difference between the allocation of a reward and the manifestation of the Divine Presence. It was explained that the reward is the limited illumination that a person receives, mainly in the Garden of Eden but also in this world, whose content is the revelation that can be granted to someone from the Torah he has learned and the mitzvot he has performed. This is why the reward is always limited, as it accords with that individual's spiritual capabilities, what he can currently receive, understand, and feel. By contrast, the manifestation of the Divine Presence is the illumination of the Divine Presence itself – not what a particular person can feel, but as is: an immense illumination that is not enclothed within the vessel of the soul, but which resides over it in an encompassing manner. This distinction resembles the difference between the reward that a person receives now (in the Garden of Eden) and the reward that he will receive in the future, at the time of the ultimate redemption. The revelation will be complete at the future redemption; it will not be merely the limited illumination of the Torah one has studied, but the full revelation of the Torah and mitzvot as they are, the true realization that "the Torah and the Holy One, blessed be He, are entirely one." These two aspects refer to the two levels of Torah study that were clarified in this letter: The study of Torah even by an individual, for which God allocates reward, and communal Torah study, when the Divine Presence rests one each person, together with the community.