(מַה שֶּׁכָּתַב לְיוֹשְׁבֵי אַרְצֵנוּ הַקְּדוֹשָׁה תִּבָּנֶה וְתִכּוֹנֵן בִּמְהֵרָה בְּיָמֵינוּ אָמֵן

( This is a letter that the author of the Tanya wrote to those who dwell in our Holy Land – may it be built and established quickly, in our days, amen. To whom was this letter written? In Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menaḥem Mendel Schneerson's list of errata, he notes that the words "to those who dwell in our Holy Land…" are an error, because the letter was written to Chabad hasidim outside the Holy Land. Beit Rebbe, too, states that this phrase is clearly a mistake, as may be seen from the body of the letter – and in particular from its second half (which was not published in Iggeret HaKodesh ) in which the author of the Tanya explicitly addresses the hasidim outside the Holy Land, telling them to continue sending money to the Holy Land. However, the Lubavitcher Rebbe states further on that erasing this phrase would be wrong, because it was allowed to remain by the rebbes of Chabad throughout the generations, beginning with the author's sons (who edited and approved the text of Iggeret HaKodesh as published in the introductions to the Tanya ) and the Tzemaḥ Tzedek, and this is how it appears in the first edition of Kuntres Inyan HaHishtatḥut. Therefore, this phrase possesses a certain level of authority. The Lubavitcher Rebbe proposes that both versions of the text be preserved, with the presumption that one version of the letter (which was preserved only in part) was sent to the hasidim in the Land of Israel, and another version – the version that we possess in full – was sent to the hasidim outside the Holy Land.

לְנַחֲמָם בְּכִפְלַיִים לְתוּשִׁיָּה

To console them with double alleviation (Job 11:6), The author of the Tanya characterizes his words of consolation as possessing "double alleviation." This alludes to the character of the entire letter, and may even be considered its motto. Words of consolation, in particular those of a rebbe, not only express the consoler's participation in the mourner's suffering, which is itself deeply comforting, but are an attempt to transform the situation. The suffering and loss are a reality that cannot be changed, but other aspects can help a person elevate himself. In the midst of their suffering, mourners cannot as a general rule see these other aspects, and so other people's words of consolation are required. Therefore, in this letter, the author of the Tanya explains that the tzaddik's passing away brings about rectification and elevation on the level of "double alleviation": referring to the reality after he has passed away and even retrospectively to the situation prior to his having passed away.

עַל פְּטִירַת הָרַב הַגָּאוֹן הַמְפוּרְסָם, אִישׁ אֱלֹקִים קָדוֹשׁ, נֵר יִשְׂרָאֵל, עַמּוּד הַיְּמִינִי, פַּטִּישׁ הֶחָזָק

on the passing away of the famous, brilliant rabbi, the holy man of God, the lamp of Israel, the pillar on the right side, the powerful hammer, This is a description of Rabbi Menaḥem Mendel's greatness in Torah. The tzaddik is like a lamp, and he is the soul of the entirety of the people of Israel. He is the principal pillar upon which the house stands. This relates to his greatness in Torah, in keeping with our Sages' interpretation of the verse, "like a hammer that shatters the rock" (Jer. 23:29). All of these descriptions are how Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai was eulogized by his students (Berakhot 28b). In using them here, the author of the Tanya' s sons hint that Rabbi Menaḥem Mendel was a leader of Israel on a rarely equaled scale.

מוֹרֵנוּ הָרַב וְרַבֵּנוּ רַבִּי מְנַחֵם מֶענְדְל נִשְׁמָתוֹ עֵדֶן)

our master, the rabbi, and our rabbi, Rebbe Menaḥem Mendel, his soul is in Eden). Rabbi Menaḥem Mendel of Vitebsk was among the greatest students of the Maggid of Mezeritch. After the Maggid passed away, Rabbi Menaḥem Mendel was recognized as his successor. In fact, he was the last hasidic leader to be unilaterally accepted by all of the other hasidic leaders. The author of the Tanya, who was among the youngest students of the Maggid, related to him as his own rebbe, although even in Rabbi Menaḥem Mendel's lifetime, The author of the Tanya had already set forth his own path of Chabad Hasidism. This concludes the introduction to the letter. Now the letter itself begins.

אֲהוּבַיי אַחַיי וְרֵעַיי אֲשֶׁר כְּנַפְשִׁי כו׳

My beloved ones, my brothers and friends who are as close to me as my soul…, The salutation has always been meaningful in letters written by hasidic tzaddikim. This greeting, "My beloved, my brothers and friends who are [as close to me] as my soul…," which is found in a number of the letters (9, 16, 22, addenda to 22 and 23), expresses exceptional closeness and affection. This greeting relates to what the author of the Tanya will say later on. He is addressing those who are especially close to him and he will implicitly demand a great deal from them: not only to overcome their loss emotionally but to elevate the situation so that each person will receive something from the tzaddik and, with the attendant strength and responsibility, will himself be like the tzaddik.

ה׳ עֲלֵיהֶם יִחְיוּ ״חַיִּים עַד הָעוֹלָם״ (תהלים קלג,ג), וְצֶאֱצָאֵיהֶם אִתָּם, זֶרַע אֱמֶת (ירמיה ב,כא) בְּרוּכֵי ה' הֵמָּה, "מֵעַתָּה וְעַד עוֹלָם"

may God be over them, that they should live "life for eternity" (Ps. 133:3), and their offspring with them, who will be a seed of truth (Jer. 2:21) they are blessed by God, from now and forever. The author of the Tanya blesses the hasidim for the future. The blessing that these mourners need after the passing away of the tzaddik is life (see Isa. 38:16). As the verse states, "The Lord commanded the blessing of life for eternity" (Ps. 133:3). Not only do they need a replacement of the life they lost, whose stay on earth was temporary, but they need life that will last forever. This blessing continues beyond their days, to their offspring after them, so that the latter will be "a seed of truth blessed by God, from now and forever," that is to say, blessed with true, eternal life. These words of opening and blessing are not simply expressive, but rather, they are intended to foreshadow the content of the epistle, which will show how these words of blessing actually happen, and how they can and should be received.

אַחֲרֵי דְּרִישַׁת שְׁלוֹמָם כַּמִּשְׁפָּט לְאוֹהֲבֵי שְׁמוֹ

After inquiring after their well-being, as is proper for those who love His Name, "Those who love His Name" refers to every Jew. As Likkutei Amarim explains (chaps. 14 –15) every Jew's divine soul possesses a hidden love for God. This love is so great that when it is revealed it vanquishes a person's entire being, to the extent that he will be prepared to literally sacrifice himself. This is so characteristic of a Jew, that Jews are called "those who love His Name."

בָּאתִי לְדַבֵּר עַל לֵב נִדְכָּאִים הַנֶּאֱנָחִים וְהַנֶּאֱנָקִים

I have come to speak to the heart of those who are downcast, the sighing and the mournful, Those who are "downcast, sighing and mournful" are the hasidim mourning the loss of their rebbe. The halakha states that a student must mourn for his principal rabbi even to the extent of tearing his clothes – and how much more must hasidim mourn their rebbe. For the hasidim, the rebbe to whom they are attached is more than a rabbi who has taught them wisdom; he is also their father and king. His loss affects almost every area of their lives: Torah, prayer and the commandments (which, overall, comprise the entire life of this world). And this loss affects the life of their spirit as well: the sefira of Ḥesed, associated with love, corresponds to the father; the sefira of Gevura, associated with fear, corresponds to the king; and the sefira of Tiferet corresponds to the rabbi. A person who loses all of these has nowhere to escape from his sorrow.

וּלְנַחֲמָם בְּכִפְלַיִים לְתוּשִׁיָּה,(איוב יג,א) עַל מַאֲמַר רַבּוֹתֵינוּ ז״ל ‘דְּשָׁבַק חַיִּים לְכָל חַי׳

and to console them with double alleviation that my ear has heard and understood regarding the description of our Rabbis of blessed memory that a person who has died is someone "who has left life for all the living." "My ear has heard and understood" (Job 13:1): "My ear has heard" from others, "and [I] understood" myself (Likkutei Hagahot LaTanya ). "Who has left life for all the living": This expression has a secondary meaning that offers consolation: the tzaddik has left his life here, giving it to those who live in this world. Now, the author of the Tanya explains the meaning of the tzaddik's life while he was alive and the power of the life he leaves behind.

כִּי ״צַדִּיק בֶּאֱמוּנָתוֹ יִחְיֶה״ (חבקוק ב,ד), וּבְ״יִרְאַת ה׳ לְחַיִּים״ (משלי יט,כג), וּבְרִשְׁפֵּי אֵשׁ שַׁלְהֶבֶת אַהֲבָתוֹ

This is because "the tzaddik lives by his faith" (Hab. 2:4), by "the fear of the Lord, which leads to life" (Prov. 19:23), and by the flames of fire, a burning flame of his love for God. Clearly, the tzaddik's life – that which engages him, moves him and fills his soul all the days of his life – is not like that of other people. Most people are involved first and foremost with the life of this world, with its benefits, victories, fears, and so forth – in short, with themselves and their survival, and everything connected to that. Their life of this world is ongoing, whereas their thoughts of God are sporadic. However, for some people, God is everything, and it is with this that they live (and as for the life of this world, they think of it only in connection with the Divine). These people are the tzaddikim. A tzaddik's life therefore consists of his relationship with God, which includes faith, fear and love. He lives with faith because for him faith is not a cloudy concept but an existential reality. He lives with the fear of God because it is what he experiences. When a person is frightened of something in this world, he has no rest and no life, because everything is colored by that fright. But the tzaddik fears God. That is his life. And he lives with the love of God. Sometimes a person experiences a fiery love that fills his entire life until nothing else interests him, and he cannot deal with anything but the object of his love. In the same way, the tzaddik's love of God constitutes his life.

מֵחַיִּים לְכָל בָּהֶן, חַיֵּי רוּחוֹ [נוּסָּח אַחֵר: וְנִשְׁמָתוֹ] כָּל יְמֵי חֶלְדּוֹ

These traits are even greater than life for the tzaddik, so that he incorporates into them the life of his ruaḥ [a different version: and of his neshama ] all the days of his earthly life. The tzaddik's faith, fear and love are even more real and critical for him than life itself, more than what others see as life, more than everything that connects him to the life of this world. Throughout all the days of his life in this world, the sole involvement of his ruaḥ (and his neshama ) is the fear and love of God. In matters of this world, only his body and his vital nefesh are engaged and only regarding his most basic survival needs, whereas the entire inner being of his nefesh, ruaḥ and neshama are involved in the Divine.

״וַיְהִי בְּהַעֲלוֹת ה׳״ (מלכים ב ב,א), ״רוּחוֹ וְנִשְׁמָתוֹ אֵלָיו יֶאֱסוֹף״ (איוב לד,יד) וְיַעֲלֶה בְּעִילּוּי אַחַר עִילּוּי עַד רוּם הַמַּעֲלוֹת

"And when the Lord raises" (II Kings 2:1) "and gathers his ruaḥ and his neshama to Himself" (Job 34:14), and he rises, elevation after elevation, to the exalted heights, When a tzaddik passes away, his ruaḥ and neshama that were connected to his body and to his life in this world are freed and rise, and God gathers them to Himself. In addition, when the souls of different people are elevated, they are gathered together. In this world, the people's souls were separated from each other, each one experiencing itself as a separate entity. But when they rise from this world of separation, they gather together to be with the one God. The tzaddik rises, ascent after ascent. Usually, when a person dies, as his ruaḥ and neshama rise, they are disconnected from his body and from this world. On the other hand, if a person was so deeply connected to his body that his life consisted solely of what occurs in this world, something of that connection remains like a pleasant memory even after he passes away, and that prevents his spirit from freeing itself entirely to be able to rise. But the tzaddik is not like either of these two types of people. During his lifetime in this world, his soul was connected to the upper worlds. His entire connection to his body and this world was imposed upon him from without, and he only awaited his moment of release. Therefore, his passing away is a mighty, unlimited liberation. All of the parts of his divine nefesh, ruaḥ and neshama unite and rise toward their supernal root, that being "a portion of the Divine above." He had been connected, to some extent, to the forms of this world: to people, to practical commandments. However, these connections do not hinder him after his passing. Instead, he considers them, takes them into account, and then rises further, elevation after elevation. Since his life below had been meaningful, there is meaning as well to every level that he passes through until he reaches the highest heights.

שָׁבַק חַיֵּי רוּחוֹ, פְּעוּלָּתוֹ אֲשֶׁר עָבַד בָּהּ לְפָנִים בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל

he then leaves behind the life of his ruaḥ , and his activity that he had formerly engaged in among the people of Israel. Although the tzaddik rises, he does not entirely take leave of the lower realm. What remains of a person after he dies? If he had lived only in the physical realm, it is possible that after his death nothing remains. But regarding the tzaddik, whose life had been spiritual, the death of his body is not the death of his spirit. That continues to exist, even if not via the body, but through the "activity that he had formerly engaged in." The tzaddik acted in this world and worked in it, he influenced it and improved it. And this activity remains in the world even after his histalkut as a vessel for his spirit. The Hebrew for "formerly" can also be translated as "inner being." The tzaddik's activity and work affect the inner dimension of the world. Work that affect the world's external realm, which is no more than preparation for something else, may not last, because its scope is temporal and local. But an activity aimed at inner essence lasts forever. And all of these things are recognized and impressed in this world in a Jew's soul and life. Below, the author of the Tanya specifies who receives the life that the tzaddik leaves behind.

״פְּעוּלַּת צַדִּיק לְחַיִּים״ (משלי י,טז), לְכָל חַי, הִיא נֶפֶשׁ כָּל חַי הַקְּשׁוּרָה בְּנַפְשׁוֹ בְּחַבְלֵי עֲבוֹתוֹת ‘אַהֲבָה רַבָּה׳ וְ׳אַהֲבַת עוֹלָם׳ בַּל תִּמּוֹט לָנֶצַח

"The tzaddik's activity is for the living" (Prov. 10:16): for every living being, which is the soul of every living being who is connected to his soul with the thick cords of a tremendous love and a worldly love that will not be moved for all eternity. The tzaddik's activity that remains in the world after his histalkut is life for the living; for those who are alive. In a simple sense, this refers to those who are alive in this world. More deeply, it refers to those who not only exist in the world but who may be as though spiritually dead, but those who are truly alive because they serve God and apply themselves to the Torah and its commandments. Not everyone can receive life from the tzaddik, and certainly not what the tzaddik leaves after his histalkut. The only people who can do that are those who are "alive," those who possess the "vessels" of Torah and the commandments - to receive an enhanced life from the tzaddik. Another parameter of whether a person will be able to receive from the tzaddik is whether he was connected to the tzaddik while the tzaddik was in this world and is connected to the tzaddik now. In order that the inner stream of abundance may flow, two parties are required: giver and recipient. The recipient must want and need to have the vessels with which to receive. A person who was connected to the tzaddik, who knew him, his ways and his teachings, who received from him in the past and wants to receive from him now as well, can continue to do so. Moreover, a person who is connected with the tzaddik's soul is more than just a student; he is what hasidim call "a hasid connected to the rebbe." That connection impels the tzaddik's life force to come him. Two ropes bind the hasid to the tzaddik: "tremendous love" and "worldly love." In general, the hasid's connection to the rebbe is based on love. (The hasid also experiences a fearful respect of the rebbe, and even a lower fear of punishment. But the connection is based on love.) The entire hasidic movement, as its name suggests, is built on ḥesed, "kindness." It is a movement that comes from the faculties of love, associated with "running forth" to escape vessels and parameters. It is based on activity involving a connection to that which is beyond the requisite and beyond present existence. And certainly, this is true of the core of the hasid's heart in his connection to the rebbe, which is principally a connection of love.

אֲשֶׁר ״מִי הָאִישׁ הֶחָפֵץ חַיִּים״ (תהלים לד,יג), לְדָבְקָה בה׳ חַיִּים בַּעֲבוֹדָתוֹ תִּדְבַּק נַפְשׁוֹ

That "person who desires life" (Ps.34:13) – who desires to cling to the living God – his soul will cling through his service The author of the Tanya describes who receives the life of the tzaddik: it is the person who desires the supernal life that the tzaddik brings down, a life that consists of clinging to God with faith, love, and fear. In this sentence, the word "life" refers to the hasid, to his desire for life and his clinging to the ways of the tzaddik, and the word "living" refers to his receiving the life of the tzaddik, which becomes his own life. The soul of the person who desires life will cling to the way of service that the tzaddik taught the hasidim in general and him in particular.

וְהָיְתָה צְרוּרָה בִּצְרוֹר הַחַיִּים אֶת ה׳ בְּחַיֵּי ״רוּחַ אַפֵּינוּ״ (איכה ד,כ), ״אֲשֶׁר אָמַרְנוּ בְּצִלּוֹ נִחְיֶה בַגּוֹיִם״ (איכה שם)

and his soul will be bound in the bond of life with God, and it will be bound with the life of the tzaddik, the one who is "the spirit of our nostrils" (Lam. 4:20) "of whom we have said,'In his protective shadow, we will live among the nations'" (ibid.). As explained elsewhere, "the bond of life" (see I Sam. I 25:29) may be thought of as a garment for the soul. A person, who is a created and limited being, can only receive God's pure and infinite light via a garment that is as pure as that light. This garment is made from the Torah and the mitzvot that this person engaged in during his lifetime. A person creates another garment through his choice of neighborhood and his neighbors, the people around him, what he speaks about, how he speaks, how he interacts with others, and so forth. And he creates yet another type of garment if his thoughts and words in this world are materialistic. After he dies, these become the garments of his soul in the World to Come, with all of the grotesqueness and pointlessness of physicality within that world. But if a person's deeds and thoughts are in Torah and good deeds, in faith, in love and in the fear of God, after he passes away that will be his bond, his garment of life. He will be together with God. The tzaddik leaves behind his thoughts, words, teachings and prayers to everyone in this world. They give life to those who desire life, who desire the inner essence life as much they desire to breathe air. The tzaddik's influence is all-encompassing. The two terms, "the spirit of our nostrils" and "in his [protective] shadow, we will live," refer to the totality of the tzaddik's spiritual influence upon the hasid and to the connection of the hasid with the tzaddik.

אֲשֶׁר שָׁבַק לָנוּ בְּכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד כְּפִי בְּחִינַת הִתְקַשְּׁרוּתוֹ בֶּאֱמֶת וְאַהֲבָתוֹ אַהֲבַת אֱמֶת הַטְּהוֹרָה מִקֶּרֶב אִישׁ וְלֵב עָמוֹק כִּי ״כַּמַּיִם הַפָּנִים וכו׳״ (משלי כז,יט) וְרוּחַ אַיְּיתֵי רוּחַ וְאַמְשִׁיךְ רוּחַ

All this the tzaddik has left for us, each person corresponding to the level of his genuine connection and his pure love – his true love – with the tzaddik, from within himself and from the depth of his heart (see Psalms 64:7). That is because "As water reflects a face to the face, so does the heart of a person to a person" (Prov. 27:19), and "spirit brings spirit and draws forth spirit" (Zohar 2:166b and elsewhere). Now, after the tzaddik's histalkut, we do not seek his influence externally but we seek it by looking within ourselves. Each person may find the tzaddik in his soul. The text uses the adjectives "genuine" and "pure," indicating something true, because, as the author of the Tanya states in a number of places, truth is something that does not change. The truth is an entity's central, inner and essential core, unaffected by any external alterations. Thus, the hasid's genuine connection to and pure love for his rebbe does not change just because the rebbe is no longer in his body. The only difference is that the "garments" have changed. To the degree that the hasid's connection to and love of his rebbe in his lifetime was pure – without any admixture, without any superficial motivations – it will grow even stronger after the tzaddik's histalkut. The hasid's connection to the tzaddik must emerge from the depth of his heart: from the core of his heart and the essence of his soul. The more the hasid's connection is genuine and pure, the more it will bring the tzaddik's influence down to him from the tzaddik's inner point of truth and the depth of the tzaddik's heart. Then it will enter and influence the hasid's inner being and depth of his heart. This metaphor describes the arousal from below: the face that one presents to water is the face that is reflected in them. When a person smiles, the water smiles back. Similarly, that which a person feels in his heart toward another person, that person returns to him. In this context, that which the hasid feels and seeks, he receives from the rebbe. This phrase expresses the same concept in the language of the Zohar, and is discussed at length in hasidic teachings in this context of an arousal from below. The hasid's spirit of connection with his rebbe and love for him draws a spirit of love and connection from the rebbe to him.

וְרוּחוֹ עוֹמֶדֶת בְּקִרְבֵּינוּ מַמָּשׁ, כִּי בִּרְאוֹתוֹ יְלָדָיו, מַעֲשֵׂה יָדָיו בְּקִרְבּוֹ יַקְדִּישׁוּ שְׁמוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ אֲשֶׁר יִתְגַּדַּל וְיִתְקַדַּשׁ

The tzaddik's spirit truly remains in our midst when he sees his children, the work of his hands in his midst, sanctifying God's name, may He be blessed, which is magnified and sanctified, Even now. This is literally the tzaddik's spirit: not only memories of experiences that we had, but the tzaddik's living spirit within our own spirit. "His children" refers to the tzaddik's students, his hasidim. When the tzaddik's spirit sees that his students are connected to him as children are connected to their father and, moreover, that they are like "the work of his hands," in that they embody and express his fear and love of God, God's name is truly "magnified and sanctified," just as it is by the tzaddik. "Magnified" means that it is made greater, spreading and permeating all existence. And "sanctified" means that God's holiness is revealed; the fact that He is separate from and higher than all existence. As explained in hasidic teachings, these are the two levels of the revelation of the divine light: inner and encompassing, also referred to as "filling all worlds" and "encompassing all worlds."

כַּאֲשֶׁר נֵלֵךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ יְשָׁרָה אֲשֶׁר הוֹרָנוּ מִדְּרָכָיו, וְנֵלְכָה בְּאוֹרְחוֹתָיו

when we will go on the straight road that he taught us of his ways, and we will go on his paths, All of this is the case when the hasidim continue to walk on the path that the tzaddik taught them in his lifetime. Through this, they will continue to go in his ways and they will be connected to him forever, so that no circumstances – in life nor in death, in body nor in soul – will interfere with this living connection.

נֶצַח סֶלָה וָעֶד

eternally, always, forever. As explained elsewhere, in keeping with what is explained in the words of the Sages (see Eiruvin 54a), whenever Scripture uses any of these three synonyms it means something that will never cease. By using all three terms, the author of the Tanya emphasizes that the tzaddik's life and his guidance of his hasidim never cease.

וְזֶה שֶׁכָּתוּב בַּזּוֹהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ (חלק ג עא,ב): דְּצַדִּיקָא דְּאִתְפַּטַּר אִשְׁתַּכַּח בְּכֻלְּהוּ עָלְמִין יַתִּיר מִבְּחַיּוֹהִי דְּהַיְינוּ שֶׁגַּם בְּזֶה הָעוֹלָם הַמַּעֲשֶׂה, ״הַיּוֹם לַעֲשׂוֹתָם״ (דברים ז,יא)

And so is it written in the holy Zohar (3:71b), "a tzaddik who passes away is found in all worlds more than [he was] in his lifetime" that is, even in this world of action, of which it is written, "today to do them" (Deut. 7:11). The fact that after the tzaddik has left his physical body he exists in the upper world is easy to understand. But the fact that his soul still exists, even more than when he was alive, in the physical world is hard to comprehend, because the tzaddik now has no physical body with which to act, with which to speak, and with which to be in the world of action. However, even though the tzaddik's life is not in his body, it exists in the bodies of the hasidim connected to him, and so through them he continues to fulfill the purpose of the world of action: "today to do them" (Deut. 7:11).

אִשְׁתַּכַּח יַתִּיר

The tzaddik is present more than when he was alive. That is because the action of his disciples continuously grows, producing successive generations of offshoots, from "the light planted for the righteous" (Ps. 97:11) in "the field that the Lord has blessed" (Gen. 27:27). This is in keeping with our Sages' statement (Eiruvin 22a) that "today" refers to the world of action, the arena designated for the commandments that can be performed only in a physical body. Therefore, the physicality of the world of action and the fact that it conceals the Divine and expresses God's inner intent is an end in itself and not just a means toward some other goal. One cannot say that physicality is secondary to spirituality – that the tzaddik had been in the world of action and now, at a more advanced stage, he is no longer there. That is not so. Even after his histalkut, the tzaddik is more present in the world of deed. That is because the deeds that the hasidim perform in this world continuously grow, beyond that which the tzaddik did and was able to do while in his body. That indicates not only the growths that the tzaddik grew in his lifetime – his own students – but their successive generations of offshoots as well: their own students and children. The tzaddik's influence is comparable to a seed planted in the earth. After it disintegrates, it grows into a plant that is much greater than what had been manifest in the seed. And that plant itself goes on to produce its own offshoots.

הַמֵּאִיר לָאָרֶץ וְחוּצוֹת

Shining on the Land and on the outside places. The light shines down to the land below, that being the Land of Israel, and to the "outside places," those being the areas outside the Land of Israel. Most of Rabbi Menaḥem Mendel of Vitebsk's hasidim lived in the Land of Israel, where he had lived and had been active for the last ten years of his life. But even outside the Land, many hasidim had remained connected to him and stayed in touch with him via messengers and letters. And in a more extended circle, hasidim had a connection to him via the author of the Tanya and via giving charity to the author of the Tanya, which he sent to the Land of Israel to support the hasidic community there.

וְגַם אֲנַחְנוּ אֵלֶּה פֹה הַיּוֹם כּוּלָּנוּ חַיִּים בִּדְרָכָיו, דֶּרֶךְ הַקֹּדֶשׁ יִקָּרֵא לָהּ

We as well who are here today, all of us who live in his ways, "which is called the way of holiness" (Isa. 25:8). "We as well…all of us who live" is a reference to Deuteronomy 4:4. "Here" means outside the Land, while "today," indicates that after the tzaddik's histalkut, every person can receive the tzaddik's illumination. The author of the Tanya calls the tzaddik's way "the way of holiness" because the tzaddik's life in this world has no connection to the things of this world, but it is dedicated entirely to God. "The way of holiness" also alludes to the person who goes on this way. Although he is not literally like the tzaddik, who is intrinsically separate from the things of this world, and although he does not feel the presence of the tzaddik as it was in this world, he nevertheless goes on the tzaddik's way, a way that is not dependent on and not influenced by the environment that surrounds him.

זֹאת בַּעֲבוֹדַת ה׳ בְּמִילֵּי דִשְׁמַיָּא. וּבְמִילֵּי דְעָלְמָא בְּפֵירוּשׁ אִתְּמַר בַּזּוֹהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ (חלק ג עא,ב) דְּצַדִּיקַיָּיא מְגִינִּין עַל עָלְמָא, וּבְמִיתָתְהוֹן יַתִּיר מִבְּחַיֵּיהוֹן, וְאִלְמָלֵא צְלוֹתָא דְּצַדִּיקַיָּיא בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא לָא אִתְקַיַּים עָלְמָא רִגְעָא חֲדָא

This relates to the service of God in matters of heaven. And in matters of the world, the holy Zohar explicitly states (3:71b) that the righteous people protect the world – in their death even more than in their lifetime. And if not for the prayer of the righteous in that world, this world would not last a moment. The spiritual work of ascending to the upper worlds and to their abundance. This spiritual work does not relate to any revelation of Godliness, but to God Himself, beyond the existence of all worlds, even the spiritual worlds. Matters of the world refers to the spiritual work that relates to the worlds overall and to this world in particular, in order to make it a dwelling place for holiness. The tzaddikim have the power to pray for the world and to guard it from all evil. The Zohar here adds that after a tzaddik's histalkut, he possesses even more power to protect the world by means of his prayer than he had possessed during his lifetime.

וְכֹל הַקָּרוֹב קָרוֹב אֶל מִשְׁכַּן ה׳ בְּחַיָּיו – קוֹדֵם לַבְּרָכָה

And whoever was closer to the tzaddik, who is the tabernacle of the Lord during his lifetime, has precedence to receive the blessing. The tzaddik is called "the tabernacle of the Lord" because he is like a tabernacle, a place where the Divine Presence dwells: "and I will dwell in their midst…. " The closer something was to the Tabernacle, the more sanctified it was (the camp of the Divine Presence was more sanctified than the Levite camp, which was in turn more sanctified than the Israelite camp.) So too, a person who is close to the tzaddik receives directly and deeply, whereas a person further away receives indirectly and superficially. In accordance with a person's closeness to the tzaddik in the latter's lifetime, so will he receive from the tzaddik's blessing after his histalkut. The following is the continuation of the letter: And that is particularly so when my speech – my prayer and my request – is expansive on behalf of Rabbi Menaḥem Mendel's lovely and pleasant son, who is wondrous and outstanding, a stream of God, filled with knowledge and the fear of God: his holy honor, our teacher Rabbi Moshe, may his light shine. That is in keeping with the statement of our Rabbis of blessed memory that a father's disposition is inclined to that of his son (Bava Batra 142b). Therefore, I pour forth my prayerful speech that those close to Rabbi Menaḥem Mendel should not distance themselves, heaven forbid. I have heard the speech of the morally impoverished of the flock who speak without knowledge, judging that the son should now receive less money, heaven forbid, from all the sanctified money that people dedicate to God as charity every year regularly, from each person whose heart inspires him, on behalf of our rabbis in the Land of Israel, may it be built and established quickly in our days, amen, who have until now divided their money into equal parts. "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to sit together" (Ps. 133:1). Now as well, so should matters be performed in keeping with their words of the past, their words that are alive and established. Heaven forbid, that we act in a way that will leave "the righteous man abandoned, and his offspring…," heaven forbid. This beloved and pleasant son was supported at the table of his father, may his memory be for the life of the World to Come. And almost half of Rabbi Menaḥem Mendel's expenses went to him and to his family: the minors dependent on him and his wife, "the wife of a colleague, who is like the colleague," and his grandchildren and grandchildren, these last being the daughters of his daughter, who also require a great deal of money to take care of all their needs, to "raise them to the wedding canopy and engaging in good deeds." And that which remains will go to repay the debts that are well-known to all, the collateral for which consists of his house and his inheritance, the inheritance of God, which should go to the children and not to strangers, heaven forbid. Therefore, my request is repeated to all of my beloved and friends: not to diminish, heaven forbid, even by one small coin, heaven forfend, not to give any less to the holy charity, heaven forbid. The amount of money should be complete, all of it, so that it is favorable to God. Furthermore, I ask and request that you should be swift in performing a mitzva this year: that all the money going up to the Land of Israel from our country should be counted and received by the hand of a faithful agent, may he live, before this Passover coming upon us for the good, to be sent immediately after Passover to the holy community of Brod and from there to Triest, so that it will rise and come and arrive in our Holy Land in the autumn. Because: know clearly that the extra profit of the money that arrives in autumn constitutes almost half of the entire amount that is sent from our country - as the person who transmits this letter, may he live, will explain my speech. And so, my beloved, my brothers and my friends, do you not know, have you not heard about the precious beauty of the greatness of the commandment of strengthening the settlement of the Land? This commandment is great. Even for the sake of acquiring of just one house in the Holy Land, the Sages set aside the severe commandment of the Sabbath in terms of a rabbinic decree. And certainly we should be equally dedicated, in order to give life to quite a number of clean souls who serve God with holiness and purity, who sanctify themselves and purify themselves, drawing from the sanctity and holy purity of the holy rabbi, our master, teacher and rabbi, the master, Avraham HaKohen, the greatest among his brothers, may he live, who has succeeded our holy rabbi, Rabbi Menaḥem Mendel, may his memory be for a blessing of the life of the World to Come, with wisdom and fear. And when a person considers in his heart with his knowledge and understanding, saying, "How fortunate we are, how good is our portion, and how pleasant our fate," his heart will rejoice in God and he will be glad with gladness and song. And the donors will rejoice in God as they remit the debts of the hasidim, in keeping with the saying of our Rabbis of blessed memory, " My sons have borrowed on My behalf, and I will repay." If you do so, as we are commanded, God will give you goodness in all matters that benefit soul and flesh. "Be good, Lord, to the good, and to the upright in their hearts." In resonance with their soul and every soul that seeks their wellbeing, loving their soul from my heart and my willing soul. Shneur Zalman, son of my master and my rabbi, Rabbi Barukh, may his light shine. This marks the end of the author of the Tanya' s condolence letter to Rabbi Menaḥem Mendel's bereaved hasidim. This short letter touches on fundamental concepts of Kabbala and emergent Hasidism regarding the connection that transcends time and space between the rebbe and his hasidim. Since the letter was written at a time of emotional distress, its principal purpose was to console the hasidim. Therefore, the author of the Tanya wrote succinctly, without employing kabbalistic and hasidic terminology, since such terminology is not universally understood and also, because it would have been out of place. However, at a later stage and for a broader audience of hasidim, it was necessary to discuss this topic more extensively, and in the author of the Tanya' s later hasidic language. And so, he penned an "explanation," of this letter, which was published in Iggeret HaKodesh directly following this letter. A commentary by the author of the Tanya on his own hasidic teaching is unusual in the Tanya and in Iggeret HaKodesh, although it is often found in other works. One might have expected that such a commentary would be a restatement of the original in easier and less specialized language. But on the contrary, these commentaries, which focus on certain points in greater depth than the original teaching, are written using more kabbalistic language. The commentary here is not typical, because it does not come to analyze a characteristic hasidic teaching but rather to explain a hasidic teaching that was written succinctly and poetically (without using hasidic terminology) presenting it in the common language of later hasidic teachings.

אִיתָא בַּזּוֹהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ דְּצַדִּיקָא דְּאִתְפַּטַּר אִשְׁתַּכַּח בְּכֻלְּהוּ עָלְמִין יַתִּיר מִבְּחַיּוֹהִי כו׳

So is it written in the holy Zohar (3:71b), "a tzaddik who passes away is found in all worlds more than he was in his lifetime…" These words appeared in the letter, and constitute its essence. Therefore, the author of the Tanya will explain them here at length.

וְצָרִיךְ לְהָבִין, תִּינַח בְּעוֹלָמוֹת עֶלְיוֹנִים אִשְׁתַּכַּח יַתִּיר בַּעֲלוֹתוֹ שָׁמָּה, אֲבָל בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה אֵיךְ אִשְׁתַּכַּח יַתִּיר

We must understand this. Granted that he is now found more in the upper worlds, since he has risen there. But how is he now found more in this world?

וְיֵשׁ לְפָרֵשׁ עַל דֶּרֶךְ מַה שֶּׁקִּבַּלְתִּי עַל מַאֲמַר חֲזַ״ל: דְּשָׁבַק חַיִּים לְכָל חַי

One may interpret this in the way that I received regarding the statement of our Sages, of blessed memory, "He has left life for all the living." The author of the Tanya presumably received this from his teacher, the Maggid of Mezeritch. As was explained earlier, "he has left life for all the living" cannot mean that the tzaddik left his followers behind as he rose upward. Rather, it means that he left his life here for all of those who remain alive. What is the meaning of that life that he left to us?

כַּנּוֹדַע, שֶׁחַיֵּי הַצַּדִּיק אֵינָם חַיִּים בְּשָׂרִים כִּי אִם חַיִּים רוּחָנִיִּים

As is known, the tzaddik's life is not a life of flesh but a life of the spirit, The author of the Tanya briefly alluded to this idea earlier. Here he states it explicitly. Every person has something that enlivens him: that excites him, that he yearns for, that he fears. It is in relation to that entity that he thinks, speaks and acts – that he lives. There are people for whom the things of this world, material and non-material, provide life. Even if such a person thinks about and does other things, he does so superficially, only because he thinks that he needs to. But he receives his sense of life from whatever excites him: the food that he eats, a compliment that he receives, his family whom he loves, and so forth. The tzaddik is different from everyone else because his life force does not come from this world. He too, may have worldly things, but his essence exists elsewhere. And so, not only do worldly things fail to enliven him, but they may even detract from his life. Any love, or expression of love, for something worldly, hides and weakens his love for the Divine.

שֶׁהֵם אֱמוּנָה וְיִרְאָה וְאַהֲבָה

which consists of faith, fear and love. A person's spiritual life may be divided into three elements: faith, fear, and love. The spiritual life that the author of the Tanya speaks about is a life of holiness. A person might think that music, poetry or abstract thought are spiritual. But that is not what the author of the Tanya is talking about. Rather, he is talking about a life whose focus is faith, and the fear and love of God. The author of the Tanya derives from verses how each of these three is called "life":

כִּי בֶּאֱמוּנָה כְּתִיב: ״וְצַדִּיק בֶּאֱמוּנָתוֹ יִחְיֶה״ (חבקוק ב,ד), וּבְיִרְאָה כְּתִיב: "וְיִרְאַת ה' לְחַיִּים" (משלי יט,כג), וּבְאַהֲבָה כְּתִיב: "רוֹדֵף צְדָקָה וָחָסֶד יִמְצָא חַיִּים" (משלי כא,כא), וְחֶסֶד הוּא אַהֲבָה

That is because, regarding faith, it is written, "But the righteous will live by his faith" (Hab. 2:4). And regarding fear, it is written, "The fear of the Lord leads to life" (Prov. 19:23). And regarding love, it is written, "He who pursues righteousness and kindness will find life" (Prov. 21:21). And "kindness" is "love." The inner essence of kindness is love.

וּשְׁלֹשָׁה מִדּוֹת אֵלּוּ הֵם בְּכָל עוֹלָם וְעוֹלָם עַד רוּם הַמַּעֲלוֹת הַכֹּל לְפִי עֵרֶךְ בְּחִינַת מַעֲלוֹת הָעוֹלָמוֹת זֶה עַל זֶה, בְּדֶרֶךְ עִילָּה וְעָלוּל כַּנּוֹדַע

And these three attributes exist in every world up to the highest levels, everything in keeping with the level of the category of the position of the worlds, one higher than the next, by way of cause and effect, as is known. Some matters exist only in one specific world. Even the life force connected to that matter exists nowhere else. For instance, a person who loves steak will not find it in the world of music. A person whose life is conditioned on some sort of material existence will not find life in the spiritual worlds. In contrast, these three attributes of the tzaddik's life exist in all worlds, up to the highest levels, because they are the attributes that relate to the Divine, which is found within each person and which is higher than all of the worlds. Of course, these traits do not exist in each world to an equal extent. They change in each world in keeping with its level. The descent of worlds occurs in a process of cause and effect. A lower world is in a sense an outcome, the externalization of an idea in the world above it. In this way, lower worlds emerge from higher, almost-entirely abstract worlds that have no boundary, descending in a process of cause and effect to worlds bound by boundaries and parameters, down to this world in which the life force within the garment is no longer visible, but in which only the garments of nature and materiality are visible.

וְהִנֵּה בִּהְיוֹת הַצַּדִּיק חַי עַל פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה, הָיוּ שְׁלֹשָׁה מִדּוֹת אֵלּוּ בְּתוֹךְ כְּלִי וּלְבוּשׁ שֶׁלָּהֶם, בִּבְחִינַת מָקוֹם גַּשְׁמִי שֶׁהִיא בְּחִינַת נֶפֶשׁ הַקְּשׁוּרָה בְּגוּפוֹ

And when the tzaddik lived upon the face of the earth, these three traits were in their vessel and garment, on the level of a physical place, which is the category of the soul connected to his body. When the tzaddik was alive, his faith and his fear and love of God were clothed in the parameters of this material world.

וְכָל תַּלְמִידָיו אֵינָם מְקַבְּלִים רַק הֶאָרַת מִדּוֹת אֵלּוּ וְזִיוָן, הַמֵּאִיר חוּץ לִכְלִי זֶה עַל יְדֵי דִּבּוּרָיו וּמַחְשְׁבוֹתָיו הַקְּדוֹשִׁים

And all of his students receive only an illumination of these traits and their radiance, an illumination that shines out of this vessel of his physicality via his holy words and thoughts. That which travels through the physical realm is only physical. Thus, what reaches other people is not the tzaddik's traits but only their illumination. That is comparable to a person's written message that transmits only a part of his oral speech.

וְלָכֵן אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ ז״ל שֶׁאֵין אָדָם עוֹמֵד עַל דַּעַת רַבּוֹ וכו׳ (עבודה זרה ה,ב)

And therefore, our Sages of blessed memory said that a person does not understand his rabbi's mind… (Avoda Zara 5b). A person does not understand his rabbi's mind until forty years have passed. If a student could receive the entirety of his teacher's good traits, fear and love, or his intellect, he would learn immediately, and he would become like him. But since the teacher can only transmit an illumination, the teaching process takes time. Also, the student does not receive what the teacher has to teach as a whole, but only as separate points, which he must take time to assimilate and integrate. And for this to happen, both the teacher and his student must be capable.

אֲבָל לְאַחַר פְּטִירָתוֹ, לְפִי שֶׁמִּתְפָּרְדִים בְּחִינַת הַנֶּפֶשׁ, שֶׁנִּשְׁאֲרָה בַּקֶּבֶר, מִבְּחִינַת הָרוּחַ שֶׁבְּגַן עֵדֶן שֶׁהֵן שָׁלֹשׁ מִדּוֹת הַלָּלוּ

However, after the tzaddik passes away, because the level of his nefesh , which remains in the grave, separates itself from the level of his ruaḥ in the Garden of Eden, which consists of these three traits, After a person passes away, his soul is separated from his body. The soul is composed of several levels: nefesh, ruaḥ, neshama, ḥaya, and yeḥida. In this world, the soul is centered in the body. Only through the body does it feel, think, and act. But with a person's death, only the lowest part of the soul, the nefesh, remains connected to the body, whereas the other parts remove themselves and go to where they belong. In particular, the ruaḥ, is the level of the revelation of the divine traits in the soul, while the neshama sits in the brain, the ḥaya and yeḥida are manifest on the levels of the encompassing Keter. Faith, which is the inner source of these traits, and fear and love, which are the main traits – rises to the level of the Garden of Eden, where these traits are revealed. This is particularly true regarding the life of the tzaddik. Even when he had been in this world, the entirety of his life had consisted of faith, and the fear and love of God, so that even when he was alive, these attributes did not have any trace of this world. Therefore, after he passes away, they completely separate from this world; with absolutely nothing limiting them.

לְפִיכָךְ יָכוֹל כָּל הַקָּרוֹב אֵלָיו לְקַבֵּל חֵלֶק מִבְּחִינַת רוּחוֹ שֶׁבְּגַן עֵדֶן, הוֹאִיל וְאֵינָהּ בְּתוֹךְ כְּלִי וְלֹא בִּבְחִינַת מָקוֹם גַּשְׁמִי

therefore, whoever is close to the tzaddik can receive a part of the level of his ruaḥ that is in the Garden of Eden, since that ruaḥ is now not within a vessel, and not on the level of physical space. Whoever was close to the tzaddik in his lifetime and remains close to him now as well, drawing closer to his ways and teachings, can receive a part of the level of his ruaḥ that is in the Garden of Eden. When the ruaḥ is in the body, it is necessarily limited to the body and its physical locus. But in the Garden of Eden, when the ruaḥ is not constrained by a physical vessel and location, it can spread without l imit. It is true that vessels exist on every level of the Garden of Eden, because there can be no revelation without a vessel. But these are spiritual vessels, which do not possess the limitations of a physical body. Thus, the three traits of the tzaddik's life are no longer limited by his body and place. They exist in ruaḥ beyond spatiality. Each person everywhere can receive them as they are and not only as an illumination via the tzaddik's body, words and books, or via other people.

כַּנּוֹדַע מַאֲמַר רַבּוֹתֵינוּ ז״ל עַל יַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם שֶׁנִּכְנַס עִמּוֹ גַּן עֵדֶן

This is in keeping with the well-known statement of our Rabbis of blessed memory that when Jacob came before Isaac, the Garden of Eden entered with Jacob our Patriarch, may he rest in peace. When Jacob approached Isaac to receive his blessing, Isaac "smelled the scent of his garments, and he said,'See, the scent of my son is like a field that the Lord has blessed'" (Gen. 27:27). The midrash states: "This teaches that the Garden of Eden entered with [Jacob]". And later on, the midrash states that when Esau entered, Gehenna entered with him. These sources thus point to the fact that the Garden of Eden and Gehenna are not geographic locations that souls enter, but rather are spiritual realities that reflect the state of a person's soul, deeds and thoughts as they appear from the perspective of a higher and more revealed level of existence. Isaac sensed the atmosphere of the Garden of Eden that accompanied Jacob in its entire scope and significance.

וְכֵן כָּתַב בְּסֵפֶר ‘עֲשָׂרָה מַאֲמָרוֹת׳ שֶׁאֲוִיר גַּן עֵדֶן

And it is likewise written in the book Asara Ma'amarot that the atmosphere of the Garden of Eden surrounds every person, and all of his good thoughts and his words of Torah and service of God are impressed in this atmosphere. The atmosphere of a person's Garden of Eden surrounds him even in this world. The air of the Garden of Eden is like the primordial Edenic matter that reflects one's good thoughts and words, that he spoke his whole life. This air is a good fabric comprised of light and Divine delight, that hints at more divine delight to come. It receives its structure and form from the person's deeds and thoughts. Little by little, it crystallizes and develops until, by the end of a person's days in this world, it reflects his entire life and reveals everything that his life had not revealed to him: its meaning and connections, and the infinite delight that exists within them.

(וְכֵן לְהֵיפֶךְ, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, נִרְשָׁמִים בָּאֲוִיר הַמִּתְפַּשֵּׁט מִגֵּיהִנָּם סְבִיב כָּל אָדָם)

(And so too the converse, God forbid, are impressed in the atmosphere that spreads from Gehenna around each person.) Just as the atmosphere of the Garden of Eden is the material in which a person's good thoughts, words of Torah, the commandments, and so forth are impressed, so too, the atmosphere of Gehenna is the material in which his bad thoughts and words are impressed. Nothing is erased. All of a person's life, for good or for evil, in general and in detail, leaves an impression in the air around him, in all of the levels of existence that surround this world. And when his soul is freed from its connections to his body and this world, it begins to see those impressions. Moreover, since overall, it no longer has a tangible continuation to this-worldly life, it connects to and exists only on the level of those impressions. And then it is said to be in the Garden of Eden or, heaven forbid, in Gehenna.

הִלְכָּךְ נָקֵל מְאֹד לְתַלְמִידָיו לְקַבֵּל חֶלְקָם מִבְּחִינַת רוּחַ רַבָּם הָעַצְמִיִּית, שֶׁהֵם אֱמוּנָתוֹ וְיִרְאָתוֹ וְאַהֲבָתוֹ אֲשֶׁר עָבַד בָּהֶם אֶת ה׳, וְלֹא זִיוָום בִּלְבַד הַמֵּאִיר חוּץ לַכְּלִי

Therefore, it is very easy for the tzaddik's students to receive their portion from the level of the independent, unembodied ruaḥ of their rabbi – that being his faith, fear and love with which he served God, and not only their radiance that shines beyond the vessel. Now, after the tzaddik's histalkut, his spirit – and not just a glimmer of his radiance – is revealed. This allows those people who are still enclosed in a body to receive from it. The radiance of the spirit must be received little by little and then rebuilt in the recipient's soul, all of which requires time and effort. And after all that, what the person receives is only similar to the tzaddik's ruaḥ. On the other hand, when a person receives directly from the tzaddik's spirit – from his faith, fear and love – an actual portion of the tzaddik's fear of God becomes his fear, a portion of the tzaddik's love of God becomes his love, and so forth. But how is it possible for the tzaddik's unembodied spirit to join with the student's embodied spirit? In addition, after the tzaddik's histalkut, his spirit – consisting of his faith, fear and love – rises ceaselessly. Even in this world, one cannot receive from another person when he is involved in his own learning, in his own elevation, in his own feelings. So how can the student bind his spirit to that of the tzaddik? The author of the Tanya now addresses these questions.

לְפִי שֶׁבְּחִינַת רוּחוֹ הָעַצְמִית מִתְעַלָּה בְּעִילּוּי אַחַר עִילּוּי, לְהִכָּלֵל בִּבְחִינַת נִשְׁמָתוֹ שֶׁבְּגַן עֵדֶן הָעֶלְיוֹן שֶׁבָּעוֹלָמוֹת הָעֶלְיוֹנִים

That is because the level of the tzaddik's independent, unembodied ruaḥ rises, elevation after elevation, to be incorporated into the level of his neshama in the supernal Garden of Eden in the supernal worlds. The supernal Garden of Eden (which corresponds to the world of Beria ) is not contiguous to this world and does not relate directly to it. That is in contrast to the lower Garden of Eden (which corresponds to the world of Yetzira ). The difference between the supernal and lower Gardens of Eden parallels the difference between the revelation of the neshama, which is overall the revelation in the moḥin (the intellect), and the revelation of the ruaḥ, which is the revelation in the middot (the traits). The tzaddik's unembodied spirit – his faith, fear and love – which is related to his personal experience, to his bond with God, is not confined to the lower Garden of Eden but rises ever higher. Contrary to what one may think, after a person passes away, his soul does not rest as in sleep (the life that it had had in this world does come to a rest, but the soul continues having more experiences). The neshama must work through what it underwent in this world, removing blockages, purifying experiences and rising ever higher. As time passes, the neshama grows increasingly distanced from this world. Even those elements from this world that it takes – its good deeds, Torah study and the commandments – lose the form that they previously had. In particular, the tzaddik – who even while he was alive was not pulled down by his speech or thought, since his life consisted entirely of faith and the fear and love of God – now rises, step by step, ceaselessly and unhindered. He only pauses at various levels of the Garden of Eden to extract the meaning of his life that relates to these levels. Once his soul has extracted the infinite delight in his love and fear of God in the lower Garden of Eden, it rises to the supernal Garden of Eden, and onward to its root and essence. We cannot receive from the tzaddik's personal ruaḥ and experience, because that rises ceaselessly. But on the other hand, as the author of the Tanya will now explain, this swift ascent makes the apparently impossible possible: we are able to receive something from the essence of his spirit that remains in the lower Garden of Eden and that relates to our world.

וְנוֹדַע שֶׁכָּל דָּבָר שֶׁבִּקְדוּשָּׁה אֵינוֹ נֶעֱקָר לְגַמְרֵי מִכֹּל וָכֹל מִמְּקוֹמוֹ וּמַדְרֵגָתוֹ הָרִאשׁוֹנָה, גַּם לְאַחַר שֶׁנִּתְעַלָּה לְמַעְלָה לְמַעְלָה

It is known that no holy entity is ever entirely, completely uprooted from its place and from its original level, even after it has risen higher and higher. When something has the status of a holy article, this means that it is a vessel for holiness, absolutely nullified to God, without any will of its own, without any intrinsic existence. Such an entity grows and rises continuously. Actually, it does not rise, because it is already at the highest heights. Rather, existence around it collapses, exposing its essence stage by stage. Yet on the other hand, it is never entirely uprooted from its previous place below. That is because even when it was below, it was essentially above. Even when it is above, it is still below. And so is it always: the revelation of the tzaddik's essence rises constantly so that we never grasp him at any time and place, since he has already ascended. Nevertheless, his presence that had been there is not uprooted from its place.

וּבְחִינָה זוֹ הָרִאשׁוֹנָה, שֶׁנִּשְׁאֲרָה לְמַטָּה בְּגַן עֵדֶן הַתַּחְתּוֹן, בִּמְקוֹמוֹ וּמַדְרֵגָתוֹ הָרִאשׁוֹנָה הִיא הַמִּתְפַּשֶּׁטֶת בְּתַלְמִידָיו

This first level that remains below in the lower Garden of Eden spreads among the tzaddik's students in its original place and level. The lower Garden of Eden is the reflection and revelation of the tzaddik's life in this world. It is the significance and supernal delight that his deeds and thoughts in this world still retain. This is the tzaddik's ruaḥ as it remains in the lower Garden of Eden even after his neshama has risen. Although the tzaddik's neshama has risen and will rise yet more and no one can keep up with it, his students can still receive from his ruaḥ, because his ruaḥ has not moved from its place. The lower Garden of Eden reveals the supernal, holy aspect of this world in which the tzaddik and the hasidim had been together. Therefore, the revelation there relates to both the tzaddik and his hasidim. From there, the hasid can receive the aspects of the tzaddik's spirit that relate to him even after the tzaddik's histalkut. However, the question still remains: how can the hasidim, who are in their bodies in this world, receive from this ruaḥ? We receive from other people by hearing their words and seeing their deeds. But how is it possible to receive – not via the physical senses – from a purely spiritual entity? The author of the Tanya now addresses this question.

כָּל אֶחָד כְּפִי בְּחִינַת הִתְקַשְּׁרוּתוֹ וְקִרְבָתוֹ אֵלָיו בְּחַיָּיו וּבְמוֹתוֹ

It spreads to every person in keeping with the level of his connection and closeness to the tzaddik, in the tzaddik's lifetime and after his death. This is not a miraculous, "supernatural" connection, but a continuation of what had existed when the tzaddik had been alive. This continuation proceeds further than might have first been imagined. The key is a person's connection to the tzaddik: both in the tzaddik's lifetime (in seeing him, in hearing his words, and in being in his presence) and after his histalkut (in one's memories, in learning his teachings, in emulating his ways and keeping his directives). That is the way to receive the tzaddik's spirit. As long as that connection continues, the tzaddik's influence and the student's receiving continue. And as the connection grows stronger, it dissociates more fully from the recipient's physical vessels and concepts. Then, its influence and the way it is received become more independent and more powerful.

בְּאַהֲבָה רַבָּה, כִּי הַמְשָׁכַת כָּל רוּחָנִיּוּת אֵינָהּ אֶלָּא עַל יְדֵי אַהֲבָה רַבָּה

It spreads with tremendous love. That is because the drawing forth of all spirituality comes about solely by means of great love. The student's connection to the tzaddik, which draws forth the tzaddik's spirit, comes about solely by means of the student's great love for God. After the student cultivates his "physical" connection to the tzaddik by learning his teachings and acting in keeping with his directives, he draws forth the tzaddik's spirit. He can do so only by having a "great love" for God. In general, a person draws forth and expands spiritual influence by means of love and kindness. Unlike fear of God, which is characterized by gathering in, love of God is characterized by spreading out: expanding and broadening holiness. With "great love" in particular, a person rises above his ego. "Great love" is so-called in contrast to "small love," which refers to a person's love for the things in his world that he knows are worth loving. In general, that is the "worldly love" mentioned many times by the author of the Tanya, which a person experiences when he contemplates the world and realizes how fitting it is to love the One Who created it and Who guides it and himself in particular. "Great love," however, relates to God Himself beyond the fact of His being the Creator and Guide of the world, beyond all comprehension. Small love is part of a person. It is the emotional distillation of what he comprehends and knows. It magnifies his holy traits, and cleans and improves them – but it remains his own "small love." Therefore, a person also needs "great love" that transcends his being in order to connect himself to the tzaddik and draw forth the tzaddik's spirit.

כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בַּזּוֹהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ דְּרוּחַ דִּרְעוּתָא דְּלִבָּא אַמְשִׁיךְ רוּחַ מִלְּעֵילָא

As written in the holy Zohar (2:162b, and elsewhere), "the spirit of the will of the heart draws forth the spirit from above" "The will of the heart" refers to a person's great love for God: a love beyond the powers of his soul. It is like the power of the Ratzon (will) in his soul, which transcends all the powers of his soul, including his intellect and his entire consciousness. This vast, inner love is the love of the essence of the soul, not what it comprehends with the intellect but what it connects to from its core. This love relates to God Himself, beyond all of His revelations and activities, beyond what may be comprehended in any way. When the tzaddik was in this world, the student had no need to experience this vast love in order to receive the illumination of the tzaddik's spirit. But after the tzaddik's histalkut, in order for the student to draw forth the tzaddik's traits and transform them into his own so that he himself is transformed he requires this vast love, a love that transcends his intellect and character traits.

רַק אִם יִכּוֹן לִקְרַאת אֱלֹהָיו בַּהֲכָנָה רַבָּה וִיגִיעָה עֲצוּמָה, לְקַבֵּל שָׁלֹשׁ מִדּוֹת הַלָּלוּ כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁהוֹרָהוּ רַבּוֹ

only when a person prepares to meet his God with great preparation and mighty effort in order to receive these three traits in the way that his rabbi taught him. The author of the Tanya adds here, that even the hasid's connection to the tzaddik and great love for God do not suffice, because this hasid is still in his body and his animal nefesh. The tzaddik's spirit is in the Garden of Eden, liberated from the bonds of the body, but the hasid is not on that level. In order for him to receive from the tzaddik's spirit, he must break through and beyond the boundaries of his connections to his body. For this there are no shortcuts. He must work hard, "with a tremendous preparation and mighty effort."

וּכְמַאֲמַר רַבּוֹתֵינוּ ז״ל: יָגַעְתָּ וּמָצָאתָ תַּאֲמִין (מגילה ו,ב)

And that is in keeping with the statement of our Rabbis of blessed memory, " If someone tells you that he toils and finds success, believe him" (Megilla 6b). That applies here as well. A person must believe that if he toils to draw forth the tzaddik's spirit after the latter's histalkut – an achievement that may appear to be wondrous, bordering on the miraculous - he will "find." From this point onward to the end of the letter, the author of the Tanya shifts from addressing Rabbi Menaḥem Mendel's hasidim after his histalkut to discussing other aspects of a tzaddik's influence following his histalkut: spiritual heights that are not directly connected to our world, and future generations that are not directly connected to the tzaddik.

וְהִנֵּה יֵשׁ עוֹד בְּחִינַת הֶאָרָה לְתַלְמִידָיו רַק שֶׁאֵינָהּ מִתְלַבֶּשֶׁת בְּתוֹךְ מוֹחָם מַמָּשׁ כָּרִאשׁוֹנָה, רַק מְאִירָה עֲלֵיהֶם מִלְמַעְלָה

There is another level of how the tzaddik illuminates his students after his histalkut. But that level does not, as did the first, truly clothe itself in their mind. Instead, it shines upon them from above. Here the author of the Tanya is referring not only to the tzaddik's immediate students, but to all those who will learn his teachings in the future. Illumination that clothes itself in the students' mind does so directly and deeply. This is comparable to a person explaining a concept to someone else, which the latter understands and internalizes. Until now this epistle has been discussing that sort of illumination and influence. This illumination also has a hidden aspect: how the students receive from the spirit of the tzaddik after his histalkut. In general, this sort of influence speaks of students who had been connected to the tzaddik during his lifetime, who had learned from him and who now continue that connection. In general, this is called an "inner illumination" because it penetrates the student's inner world and aligns itself with the vessels of his soul. But from this point onward, the author of the Tanya will discuss an "encompassing illumination," which is not clothed in the mind and faculties of the student's soul, but rests upon them from above. It may be said to clothe and encompass them – or, alternatively, it may be described as the context in which they exist.

וְהִיא מֵעֲלִיַּית רוּחוֹ וְנִשְׁמָתוֹ לִמְקוֹר חוֹצְבוֹ

It comes from the ascent of the tzaddik's ruaḥ and neshama to the source from which it is hewn – This influence comes not only from the impression made by the tzaddik's ruaḥ that remains in the lower Garden of Eden. The tzaddik's ruaḥ rises after his histalkut from level to level, from the lower Garden of Eden to the supernal Garden of Eden and higher, until it reaches the source from which it was hewn: the source from which his neshama was hewn, a particular neshama from the source of all souls, like a stone hewn from a quarry. The light of the neshama on this supernal level relates to the tzaddik alone. It does not shine on his students and other people with an inner illumination, but it encompasses them from above.

דְּהַיְינוּ לַחֲקַל תַּפּוּחִין קַדִּישִׁין

that is, to the field of sacred apples. The ascent of the tzaddik's soul to the source from which it is hewn is called an ascent to the field of sacred apples, because the Zohar calls the source of the souls of Israel "the field of sacred apples." The Kabbalistic literature explains that this is the level of Malkhut of Atzilut, which is the level of the Congregation of Israel. All of the souls of Israel are gathered in it together. It is called a field because in it are planted, as in a field, all of the holy sparks that the people of Israel raise from this world in their service of God. The sparks are parts of the holiness found in everything, sparks of the Divine Presence that souls have descended into the world to raise. In a sense, these sparks are parts of the souls themselves (because they are the parts of the world related to the souls) which rise to the source from which they were hewn. Throughout a soul's lifetime, it descends and clings to the parts of holiness that it finds, and raises them. When a person dies and his soul has no more connections and obligations to the body and the world, it disconnects itself from them and ascends limitlessly to this field in Atzilut, which is higher than all the worlds.

וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה נַעֲשֶׂה שָׁם יִחוּד עַל יְדֵי הַעֲלָאַת מַיִין נוּקְבִין מִכָּל מַעֲשָׂיו וְתוֹרָתוֹ וַעֲבוֹדָתוֹ אֲשֶׁר עָבַד כָּל יְמֵי חַיָּיו

As a result of this, a unification is affected there. It comes as a result of the elevation of the feminine waters from all of the tzaddik's actions, Torah learning, and service that he engaged in all the days of his life. All of the parts of the Divine Presence that were connected to the tzaddik in this world ascend and are united in their root: in Malkhut of Atzilut. That brings about an inclusive and meaningful unity of God and the Divine Presence. Every unification, on every level, is a part of the principal unification: that of the Holy One, blessed be He, with His Divine Presence, of the transcendent, essential Divine light with the immanent Divine light, a light that brings all elements into being and vitalizes them. The unification mentioned here, as the tzaddik ascends to the field of holy apples, is encompassing and meaningful for many people: those in his generation and those subsequent to his generation. This unification is meaningful not only because the tzaddik's soul now rises. The particular significance of an ascent after a descent is that something new exists that did not exist prior to the descent. That is the meaning of the elevation of the feminine waters, which are the "lower waters," the lower divine light that was hidden within things, within the lower worlds and the "husks." The "lower waters" are a term referring to holiness (the Divine Presence) that is hidden in everything, that is not revealed and cannot by itself rise and bind itself to the source of holiness (the Holy One, blessed be He) up above. It is called "feminine waters" because it cannot rise by itself, but waits for someone or something to raise it. And that which raises it is a person's soul – and in particular, the soul of a tzaddik – that descends and, with its work in Torah and the commandments, arouses, reveals and raises those feminine waters.

וְנִזְרְעוּ בַּחֲקַל תַּפּוּחִין קַדִּישִׁין אוֹרוֹת עֶלְיוֹנִים מְאֹד לְעוּמַת תַּחְתּוֹנִים אֲשֶׁר הֵם תּוֹרָתוֹ וַעֲבוֹדָתוֹ

Very supernal lights are planted in the field of holy apples. They correspond to and result from the illuminations in the lower realms, which are the tzaddik's Torah and service. This supernal holy field blossoms due to that which rose from the lower realms and was planted in it: the tzaddik's Torah and service. And now this field brings forth supernal and multitudinous lights. This process is comparable to an apple seed planted in the soil that produces a great apple tree with sweet fruits.

וְהֶאָרַת אוֹרוֹת עֶלְיוֹנִים אֵלּוּ מְאִירָה עַל כָּל תַּלְמִידָיו שֶׁנַּעֲשׂוּ עוֹבְדֵי ה׳ עַל יְדֵי תּוֹרָתוֹ וַעֲבוֹדָתוֹ

The illumination of these supernal lights shines on all of the tzaddik's students who became servants of God due to the influence of his Torah and his service. The supernal lights that were aroused by the tzaddik and that now shine in all the worlds shine in particular on his students – not only those who were his students in his lifetime, but every individual who became a servant of God because of his teachings and his service, every individual who relates to and is connected to the conduits of holiness that the tzaddik opened. The expression, "who became servants of God due to [the influence of] his Torah," emphasizes that the connection must be deep. It does not apply to every person who only bought or even read his book, but only to an individual who was changed in some way by his teachings. The tzaddik's power and path rectified and prepared this individual to receive the supernal lights.

וְהֶאָרָה זוֹ שֶׁעֲלֵיהֶם מִלְמַעְלָה מַכְנֶסֶת בְּלִבָּם הִרְהוּרֵי תְּשׁוּבָה וּמַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים

This illumination that comes upon the students from above brings thoughts of repentance and good deeds into their heart. This is an encompassing illumination from above. A person who connects himself to the tzaddik and prepares himself to be in touch with holiness receives this encompassing love and fear only if he brings thoughts of repentance and good deeds into his heart. Such reflections do not constitute actual repentance and good deeds. They do not even constitute a person's intellectual and emotional intent to repent and perform good deeds. These reflections, rather, are precursors to thoughts. They are an atmosphere of thought, a state of wanting to repent and engage in good deeds. That is something great that should not be denigrated – nevertheless, it is not yet something that the soul has attained. A person does not receive reward for these reflections. They do not raise the female waters and do not cause any arousal above. Nevertheless, these reflections can turn into actual thoughts and deeds. Thus, they place a person at the starting point, from which he can and must begin to walk upon the path of repentance and good deeds in his service of God. Corresponding to these, the illumination of the tzaddik comes from above, preceding the arousal of this person from below.

וְכָל הַמַּעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים הַנּוֹלָדִים מֵהֶאָרָה זוֹ, שֶׁמְּאִירָה מֵאוֹרוֹת הַזְּרוּעִים בַּשָּׂדֶה הַנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל, נִקְרָא גִּידּוּלֵי גִידּוּלִין

All of the good deeds engendered by this illumination, which shines from the lights planted in the field mentioned above, are called secondary growths. The tzaddik's ascent and service of God constitute planting in the field of apples. That arouses an illumination descending from above, which constitutes the growths that the field produces. These growths are immeasurably more numerous and brighter than what was planted. And if people on earth do something good as a result, those are "secondary growths."

וְהֶאָרָה זוֹ הִיא בְּהֶעְלֵם וְהֶסְתֵּר גָּדוֹל כְּמוֹ שֶׁמֶשׁ הַמֵּאִיר לַכּוֹכָבִים מִתַּחַת לָאָרֶץ

This illumination is very greatly hidden and concealed. It is compared to the sun that shines from below the earth onto the stars. This is an encompassing illumination. Unlike an inner light, it does not appear in a person's intellect and emotions. We understand and feel the significance and power of an inner illumination. It therefore impels us to think and act in accordance with it. In contrast, an encompassing illumination does not impel its recipients to absorb it or to act in accordance with it. Therefore, the actions that it does engender are called "secondary growths." They are an indirect outcome, which is dependent on a person's free will and effort. And precisely because of that, precisely because they are secondary growths, they grow even more than do the direct growths. This is comparable to the sun that shines from below the earth onto the stars. They have no light of their own. The light that we see is the light of the sun that they reflect, whereas we do not see the sun itself.

כִּדְאִיתָא בַּתִּיקּוּנִים, עַל מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם שֶׁאַחַר פְּטִירָתוֹ מִתְפַּשֶּׁטֶת הֶאָרָתוֹ בְּכָל דָּרָא וְדָרָא לְשִׁשִּׁים רִבּוֹא נְשָׁמוֹת

As the Tikkunim state, after Moses our teacher, peace be upon him, passed away, his illumination spread throughout every generation to the 600,000 souls of Israel. Moses is the archetype of the tzaddik, because through him we received the Torah in its totality, and because he was the leader and shepherd of Israel who spread faith and the knowledge of God throughout his generation and all subsequent generations. The 600,000 souls of Israel constitute the totality of the people of Israel, composed of 600,000 root souls. Those are the 600,000 men whom Moses brought out of Egypt, from whom come branches and sparks of souls in every generation. The author of the Tanya thus speaks about Moses' influence not only on those of his generation, but on every Jew, who ever lived and will live. And how do we receive that illumination? We do not receive it directly, because we do not see it physically, but we receive it in a concealed way, comparable to the way in which the presence of the sun shining from below the earth is perceived indirectly. We do not always understand and feel that God is true and His Torah is true (and certainly not as Moses did). But every Jew in every generation possesses that as a basic assumption. In how many ways does a person apply this assumption? How much do the details of a person's life – his thoughts and actions Hemshekh express and reveal everything that this assumption contains? That depends on the individual, on the generation, and on its leader, the Moses of his generation.

כְּמוֹ שֶׁמֶשׁ הַמֵּאִיר מִתַּחַת לָאָרֶץ לְשִׁשִּׁים רִבּוֹא כּוֹכָבִים

It is comparable to the sun that shines from under the earth to the 600,000 stars. This assumption that shines within each Jew is like the radiance of the sun shining from under the earth. We do not see the sun itself, and we do not know with certainty that the sun is the source of the radiance. However, we receive something from the sun – and that constitutes everything that we possess. All of the forms and colors that reveal and communicate all sorts of things ultimately reveal only one thing: the light of the sun from under the earth. This "sunlight" is a metaphor for the Divine Presence that brings everything into being out of absolute nothingness and vitalizes it. There is always a basic illumination from under the earth. That is a Jew's basic faith, his fundamental assumption. That is the equivalent of the encompassing illumination from above that the author of the Tanya described at the end of the letter. There is also an inner illumination that the author of the Tanya initially described, which is transmitted from the tzaddik to a person's soul and life. The author of the Tanya mentions Moses' soul illuminating all souls of Israel as an example of the illumination of the tzaddik's soul. The illumination of a tzaddik's soul in a particular generation is not an overall illumination such as was that of Moses, but an illumination that focuses on the generation in which he lives, as well as on future generations.