״וַיִּלְבַּשׁ צְדָקָה כַּשִּׁרְיוֹן וְכוֹבַע יְשׁוּעָה בְּרֹאשׁוֹ״ (ישעיה נט, יז), וְדָרְשׁוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זַ״ל: ״מַה שִּׁרְיוֹן זֶה, כָּל קְלִיפָּה וּקְלִיפָּה מִצְטָרֶפֶת לְשִׁרְיוֹן גָּדוֹל, אַף צְדָקָה, כָּל פְּרוּטָה וּפְרוּטָה מִצְטָרֶפֶת לְחֶשְׁבּוֹן גָּדוֹל״ (בבא בתרא ט, ב).

It is written, "He donned charity like armor and a helmet of salvation on His head" (Isa. 59:17). Our Rabbis commented, "Just as with regard to this coat of mail, each and every scale of which it is fashioned combines to form one large coat of mail, so too with regard to charity, each and every penny that one gives combines to form a great sum" (Bava Batra 9b). This coat of armor described by the Talmud was a type of armor made up of scales of iron. Such armor, common from biblical times, was used by the Roman army. It was generally made of hide and covered by row after row of overlapping metal discs that looked like fish scales. This type of armor gave its wearer the flexibility of movement that a solid coat of armor could not.

פֵּירוּשׁ, שֶׁהַשִּׁרְיוֹן עָשׂוּי קַשְׂקַשִּׂים עַל נְקָבִים, וְהֵם מְגִינִּים שֶׁלֹּא יִכָּנֵס חֵץ בַּנְּקָבִים, וְכָכָה הוּא מַעֲשֵׂה הַצְּדָקָה.

This means that the coat of mail is made of scales covering gaps and providing protection so that an arrow does not penetrate the gaps, and so it is with the act of charity. The first level of this analogy is visual. The scales of the armor look like rows of coins. Just as the scales combine to form a complete coat of armor, the pennies given for charity combine with each other to amount to a "great sum," not just in quantity, but also in their essential nature: Together they form a new creation; they become a complete coat of mail. Every scale is necessary for the armor's ultimate purpose. If some are missing, then the entire garment is defective and cannot fulfill its function properly. The same can be said of charity. Just as the scales in a coat of armor cover any gaps, protecting the vulnerable spots underneath, every coin contributed for charity protects the "holes" in the spiritual garment created by mitzvot, as will be explained below.

וּבֵיאוּר הָעִנְיָן, כִּי גְּדוֹלָה צְדָקָה מִכָּל הַמִּצְוֹת,

The explanation of the matter is as follows: Charity is greater than all the other mitzvot, There is an aspect of charity that transcends all the other action-based mitzvot. This category of the commandments is practical and performed in the material world through manipulating and changing some physical object. This imbues the mitzva item with significance that transcends the confines of the physical world.

שֶׁמֵּהֶן נַעֲשִׂים לְבוּשִׁים לְהַנְּשָׁמָה.

from which garments are formed for the soul. In addition to the main effect that a mitzva has in the higher worlds, an effect that is concealed from us, the mitzva acts upon its doer as well: It creates a spiritual garment. Like a physical garment, a spiritual garment envelops a person yet does not bind to his internal faculties. He has no intellectual or emotional connection to the essence of the mitzva. He can only tap into its external manifestation, its operating instructions that allow him to perform it, while the essence of the mitzva intrinsically lies beyond his apprehension. Elsewhere, the author of the Tanya explained how the mitzvot are garments compared to the Torah, which serves as nourishment for the soul. Like food that enters a person and becomes part of his body, the Torah that a person studies and apprehends enters him and becomes integrated into his soul's intellectual and emotional faculties. By contrast, a mitzva serves as a garment, in the sense that when one performs it, one enters it, yet it does not enter him. The person receives from it only the properties it offers as a garment. We can understand this facet of the concept of garment by comparing it to speech. Speech serves as a garment for thought. Thought is revealed through the medium of speech (it can also, by the same token, be revealed through action). The speech does not add any content to the original thought. It does not penetrate its very essence, while thought permeates the speech and is revealed to the listener through the garment of the spoken word. Granted, speech can influence thought, yet not in a direct way so that it affects its essential core, but rather indirectly, wherein the thought takes on another dimension, as it were, beyond that which it possessed when it was only a thought. Similarly, when a person performs a mitzva, when he dons a tallit or tefillin, separates tithes or hangs a mezuza, the mitzva act does not change him intrinsically, making him a smarter or better person. The Sages taught that mitzvot were not given for pleasure; that is, the fulfillment of the mitzva itself does not provide any direct, tangible pleasure or benefits, neither physical nor spiritual. Rather, a person becomes enveloped by the mitzva that he is performing at that moment. Even if he does not feel it at the time, he belongs at that moment to another reality, exalted and separate, a reality that he can only gain access to through the garment of the mitzva.

הַנִּמְשָׁכִים מֵאוֹר אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא מִבְּחִינַת ״סוֹבֵב כָּל עָלְמִין״ (כַּמְבוֹאָר הַפֵּירוּשׁ ‘מְמַלֵּא כָּל עָלְמִין׳ וְ׳סוֹבֵב כָּל עָלְמִין׳ בְּלִקּוּטֵי אֲמָרִים, עַיֵּין שָׁם),

These garments are drawn from the light of Ein Sof , blessed be He, from the light that encompasses all worlds. (The meaning of the light that fills all worlds and encompasses all worlds is explained in Likkutei Amarim [chap. 48]; see there.) Although the garments of the mitzvot become attached to physical actions, they are drawn from far beyond all the worlds, from the encompassing light of Ein Sof, which surrounds the worlds like a garment. Just as the light encompasses, so does the mitzva encompass. There are various types of divine illumination. One is called the light that "fills all worlds," which gives life to all the worlds from within, like the light of the soul that is manifest within the body to give it vitality. The other is the light that "encompasses all worlds." This light does not manifest within the world but rather surrounds it in its entirety and its every detail, like a framework that holds its very existence.

בְּאִתְעָרוּתָא דִּלְתַתָּא

The transcendent light is drawn to the soul through an awakening from below, One of the basic principles in the dynamic between the higher and the lower worlds, between man and God, is that an awakening from above occurs through an awakening from below. The drawing down of an illumination from above to the worlds below depends on a spiritual awakening ascending from below. This principle lies at the bedrock of a person's entire divine service, giving meaning and power to everything he does and for which he prays down here below.

הִיא מִצְוַת ה' וְרָצוֹן הָעֶלְיוֹן בָּרוּךְ הוּא.

which constitutes the fulfillment of God's command and His supernal will. Lying at the core of every mitzva is God's directive: "Perform My will." The essence of the divine will, like the will of a person, intrinsically transcends all human understanding, even though it can be interpreted in various rational ways. The will inherently corresponds to the level of encompassing all worlds because it defies any real attempt at comprehension. The connection that is forged through the fulfillment of a mitzva touches on the aspect of the Divine that lies beyond all the worlds, the divine will, the level known as the sefira of Keter. It is only through a mitzva that such a link can be formed. In fact, the word mitzva etymologically comes from the word tzavta, which means connection.

וְעִיקַּר הַמְשָׁכָה זוֹ מֵאוֹר אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא, הוּא לְבוּשׁ וְאוֹר

The primary aspect of this flow from the light of Ein Sof , blessed be He,

מַקִּיף לְיוּ״ד סְפִירוֹת דַּאֲצִילוּת, בְּרִיאָה, יְצִירָה, עֲשִׂיָּה,

serves as a garment and encompassing light for the ten sefirot through which the divine light descends into the four worlds of Atzilut , Beria , Yetzira , and Asiya The divine light that descends to the worlds garbs itself in the ten sefirot in order to interact with the worlds, both when the Divine forms and enlivens existence and when it manifests within it. The ten sefirot therefore constitute the Divine as it operates from within the worlds, their inner vitality, similar to the vitality that the soul imparts to the body. Just as there are ten all-encompassing sefirot in the world of Atzilut that enliven and manifest the entirety of all the subsequent worlds, that give life to all the worlds, so too every world has ten sefirot that enliven it in particular.

הַמִּשְׁתַּלְשְׁלוֹת מֵעִילָּה לְעִילָּה, וּמִמַּדְרֵגָה לְמַדְרֵגָה כו׳, הַנִּקְרָאוֹת בְּשֵׁם ״מְמַלֵּא כָּל עָלְמִין״.

that devolve through a chain of causality and from level to level, and so on, the sefirot being referred to as the light that fills all worlds. Like the faculties of the soul through which the light of the soul progressively descends from the level of wisdom to the level of action, so too the divine light progressively descends through the vessels of the ten sefirot, down the path of cause and effect, from level to level, from the level of Ḥokhma of Atzilut all the way down to our lowly physical world. This progressive descent of the divine light and life force into the confines and minutiae of the worlds is called the light that fills all worlds. A mitzva that a person performs has broad and all-encompassing significance, beyond one's personal involvement with it and the way in which it creates a garment for his individual soul. The primary effect of the mitzva performance is the drawing down of the divine light from the level of encompassing all worlds to the level of the divine inner vitality that fills all worlds.

פֵּירוּשׁ, כִּי אוֹר אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא, מִתְלַבֵּשׁ וּמֵאִיר בְּתוֹךְ כָּל הִשְׁתַּלְשְׁלוּת הָעֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת

This means that the transcendent light of Ein Sof , blessed be He, is clothed and shines within the entire

דַּאֲצִילוּת, בְּרִיאָה, יְצִירָה, עֲשִׂיָּה,

progression of the ten sefirot in each of the four worlds of Atzilut , Beria , Yetzira , and Asiya , The encompassing light that transcends all the worlds, then, is the source of the divine light that fills the worlds from within.

וְהוּא הַמַּאֲצִיל הָעֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת דַּאֲצִילוּת,

and that transcendent light is what initiates the emanation of the ten sefirot of the world of Atzilut , The first and most exalted level of the light that fills all worlds is the emanation of the sefirot of the world of Atzilut.

הַמִּשְׁתַּלְשְׁלוֹת לִבְרִיאָה יְצִירָה עֲשִׂיָּה

which in turn progress to the worlds of Beria , Yetzira , and Asiya The ten sefirot, along with the divine light that is clothed within them, descend from the level in which they express pure divine essence to lower levels that express the way the Divine interacts with the worlds: to the world of Beria, where the existence of intellect and thought are manifest; to the world of Yetzira, where emotion and speech are manifest; and to the world of Asiya, the world of action and materiality.

עַל יְדֵי צִמְצוּם עָצוּם הַמְבוֹאָר בְּעֵץ חַיִּים (שער א, ענף ב).

through the immense constriction described in Etz Ḥayyim (1:2). This transition from Ein Sof to the world of Atzilut came about through an "immense constriction." This was the first constriction from the highest level to the next one, from the infinite to the next, more finite level, the first of the many constrictions that took place in the order of progression. This initial constriction is an inexplicable, one-way transition, with no way of looking back. Causal connections can only be found linking the sefirot in Atzilut and in the worlds of the created beings, where one level is a reflection of the one above it. But these levels become progressively more obscure as they get further from the source, but unlike the "immense constriction" from Ein Sof to Atzilut, they always have some discoverable relationship to each other.

וְנִקְרָא אוֹר פְּנִימִי.

This is called inner light. The light that remains after the constriction is called "inner light" because it is the light that becomes constricted within the boundaries and limitations of our world. This inner light is the light that manifests within the world. It is the Divine at every single level yet filtered through constrictions that do not reveal the quintessential Divine but rather the divine light as it gets refracted through our experiences and reflects back to us a glimmer of its source.

וְעַל יְדֵי קִיּוּם הַמִּצְוֹת נִמְשָׁךְ אוֹר מַקִּיף, הַנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל, וּמֵאִיר תּוֹךְ הָעֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת — דַּאֲצִילוּת בְּרִיאָה יְצִירָה עֲשִׂיָּה — וּמִתְיַיחֵד עִם הָאוֹר פְּנִימִי,

Through the performance of the commandments, the aforementioned encompassing light is drawn down and shines within the ten sefirot of Atzilut , Beria , Yetzira , and Asiya and is united with the inner light, The performance of a mitzva catapults its doer, not only to a higher world, nor to contact with supernal angels, but to the divine will itself, which is an aspect of the transcendental, inscrutable encompassing light that lies beyond every level and every world. When a person performs the supernal divine will by performing a mitzva within this world, he makes contact between the inner light that progressively descended into his own world and the encompassing light that hovers above and beyond his world, unifying this world and the inner light with the transcendental will. This is not an absolutely seamless unification. Rather, it is like the union between man and woman who do not become subsumed into a single reality but meet in oneness. It is a meeting that results in the creation of new life. This contact between inner light and encompassing light, then, forges something greater than a projection of light or even a duplication of it. It gives birth to a new creation comprised of both facets together.

וְנִקְרָא ‘יִחוּד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וּשְׁכִינְתֵּיהּ׳, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר.

which is called the "unification of the Holy One, blessed be He, and His Divine Presence," as explained elsewhere (Likkutei Amarim, chap. 41). "The Holy One, blessed be He," refers to the aspect of God that is totally separate, that transcends all. "His Divine Presence" refers to the inner light that fills all worlds, the divine vitality that resides with us, the source of our life and existence. The unification between them is the unity of God and the Divine Presence, between the Holy One and the life force that enlivens this world, between the light that encompasses all worlds and the light that fills all worlds.

וּמֵהֶאָרָה דְּהֶאָרָה מֵאוֹר מַקִּיף הַנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל,

From a glimmer of a glimmer of the aforementioned encompassing light, A mitzva activates a unification between God and the Divine Presence throughout the worlds. Yet, as mentioned at the beginning of the letter, the performance of a mitzva also has a byproduct that affects its doer personally, and that is the creation of a garment for him. This encompassing garment does not reach the individual's soul at all, not even as an illumination. The author of the Tanya therefore speaks of a "glimmer of a glimmer," a glimmer of the encompassing light that creates another glimmer that becomes a garment for the soul. An example of a glimmer of a glimmer is the light of the moon. When the moon reflects the light of the sun, it is an illumination of the sun. When the light of the moon reflects off planet Earth, we receive an illumination of an illumination, a glimmer of a glimmer, from the light source, the sun.

עַל יְדֵי צִמְצוּם רַב, נַעֲשֶׂה לְבוּשׁ לִבְחִינַת ‘נֶפֶשׁ׳ ‘רוּחַ׳ ‘נְשָׁמָה׳ שֶׁל הָאָדָם, בְּגַן עֵדֶן הַתַּחְתּוֹן וְהָעֶלְיוֹן, שֶׁיּוּכְלוּ לֵיהָנוֹת וּלְהַשִּׂיג אֵיזֶה הַשָּׂגָה וְהֶאָרָה מֵאוֹר אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר.

through a great constriction, a garment is formed for the nefesh , ruaḥ , and neshama of a person in the lower and higher planes of the Garden of Eden, so that they may enjoy and apprehend some level of comprehension and glimmer of the light of Ein Sof , blessed be He, as explained elsewhere (epistle 29). A person's soul garbs itself in the mitzva that he performs. As explained elsewhere, it is this garment, woven throughout his life from the mitzvot that he did, that enables him to enjoy the infinite divine glimmer in the Garden of Eden after his lifetime. It is the illumination of the mitzva that creates an encompassing garment for the soul that does not penetrate the essence of the soul, since the mitzva inherently relates to the encompassing light, which transcends the parameters of the soul and the confines of the world in which we live. This world is not a place where the essence of a mitzva can be revealed, nor is the garment that was created through the performance of the mitzva apparent in this world. Rather, it is manifest in the planes of the Garden of Eden, a realm where a person is in touch with his inner vitality, with tangible delight in the Divine.

וְזֶה שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זַ״ל: ״שְׂכַר מִצְוָה בְּהַאי עָלְמָא לֵיכָּא״ (קידושין לט, ב).

This is the meaning of our Rabbis' statement "There is no reward for the performance of a mitzva in this world" (Kiddushin 39b). We generally understand this adage as an assertion that we do not receive the reward of a mitzva in this world but rather in the World to Come. Yet here the author of the Tanya uses this saying to illustrate how this world is incapable of encompassing the essence of a mitzva and its reward. Reward in this context actually means the revelation of the mitzva, the ability to see and enjoy its full power. This limited world simply does not offer that window. Yet it is only in this world, where we are blind to the infinite value of a mitzva, that it is even possible to perform it. On the other hand, in the next world, where one can see the mitzva's value, we can no longer perform it.

כִּי בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, הַגַּשְׁמִי וּבַעַל גְּבוּל וְצִמְצוּם רַב וְעָצוּם מְאֹד, אִי אֶפְשָׁר לְהִתְלַבֵּשׁ שׁוּם הֶאָרָה מֵאוֹר אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא, כִּי אִם עַל יְדֵי יוּ״ד סְפִירוֹת הַנִּקְרָאִים גּוּפָא בַּזֹּהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ. ״חֶסֶד דְּרוֹעָא יְמִינָא וכו׳ (תקוני זהר יז, א).

This is because in this physical world, which is subject to extremely great and immense limitation and constriction, it is impossible for any glimmer of the light of Ein Sof , blessed be He, to be clothed within this world unless it is through the ten sefirot , which the holy Zohar refers to as a body, as in the phrase " Ḥesed (Kindness) corresponds to the right arm of God…" (Tikkunei Zohar 17a). The Zohar likens the ten sefirot to the limbs of God, as it were: "Ḥesed is the right arm, Gevura is the left arm, Tiferet is the torso, Netzaḥ and Hod are the two legs.…" The body is the physical garment of the soul, through which the soul operates and manifests itself in this world. We walk with our legs, give and take with our arms, think with our brain, and so on. So too God reveals His infinite essence through the ten sefirot. They are the body relative to the source of their emanation, which corresponds to the soul of the entirety of the worlds.

לְפִי שֶׁכְּמוֹ שֶׁאֵין עֲרוֹךְ לוֹ לְהַגּוּף הַגַּשְׁמִי לְגַבֵּי הַנְּשָׁמָה, כָּךְ אֵין עֲרוֹךְ כְּלָל לְיוּ״ד סְפִירוֹת דַּאֲצִילוּת לְגַבֵּי הַמַּאֲצִיל הָעֶלְיוֹן אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא,

The sefirot are likened to the body because just as there is no comparison between the physical body and the soul, there is no comparison at all between the sefirot of Atzilut and the Supernal Emanator, Ein Sof , blessed be He, Just as the body cannot truly express the soul, neither its sensitivities nor its perception, and certainly not its essence, so too the entire universe cannot express or associate with the essence of a mitzva. A mitzva is the divine will itself, which encompasses all worlds, transcending all worlds, lying beyond even the world of Atzilut and its sefirot. Therefore, the reward, the full apprehension and perception of a mitzva, cannot be translated into the terms of even the sefirot and spiritual worlds. A mitzva's essence passes through all the worlds, yet the worlds fail to grasp its meaning. Its essence totally evades them.

כִּי אֲפִילּוּ חָכְמָה עִילָּאָה, שֶׁהִיא רֵאשִׁיתָן, הִיא בִּבְחִינַת עֲשִׂיָּה גּוּפָנִית לְגַבֵּי אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר בְּלִקּוּטֵי אֲמָרִים.

because even supernal Ḥokhma, the first of the sefirot, is considered like physical action compared to Ein Sof , blessed be He, as it is written in Likkutei Amarim (chap. 2). This concept is expressed by a deeper understanding of the verse "With wisdom You have made them all" (Ps. 104:24). This concept is explained in the second chapter of Likkutei Amarim and in more detail in Sha'ar HaYiḥud VeHa'emuna. It would seem that the verse should say, "With wisdom You have conceptualized them all." Why does the verse say, "You have made them all"? The answer is that this portrays the vast distance between wisdom and action. The stage of wisdom, the level or sefira of Ḥokhma, is the inception of all of reality, just as it is the inception of the soul's existence, and the stage of action is the end point, the culmination of the soul's functions and faculties. Yet in relation to God the stage of wisdom is like the stage of action relative to us. God "makes" through wisdom, through the level or sefira called Ḥokhma, as we would make something with a hammer. The sefira of Ḥokhma, then, and certainly the rest of the sefirot, are far removed from God, similar to the distance between a person's actions and the essence of his soul. (In truth, the distance is even greater, yet we cannot articulate or conceptualize a larger distance.) Since the mitzvot essentially correspond to the level of Ein Sof itself, which encompasses all worlds, it does not have an actual connection to the ten sefirot and certainly not to the worlds.

וְאִי לָזֹאת, בְּמַעֲשֵׂה הַצְּדָקָה וּגְמִילוּת חֲסָדִים שֶׁאָדָם אוֹכֵל מִפֵּירוֹתֵיהֶן בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה,

Therefore, the act of charity and kind deeds, which are among those mitzvot that a person engages in and enjoys their profits in this world, Until now the author of the Tanya has been discussing mitzvot in general. Now he returns to his opening statement, "Charity is greater than all the [other] mitzvot," and will go on to explain how, indeed, charity is greater. Although the talmudic dictum he quotes above, "There is no reward for [the performance of] a mitzva in this world" refers to mitzvot in general, there are those that have a certain degree of reward and connection to this world as well. They are, in the broadest sense, those mitzvot that do not involve only man's relationship with God but also those that involve relationships with others, which include the mitzvot of charity and acts of kindness toward other people. The Mishna describes these mitzvot with the words "These are the matters that a person engages in and enjoys their profits in this world, and the principal reward remains for him for the World to Come" (Mishna Pe'a 1:1; Kiddushin 40a). The implication is that a person merits some reward for these mitzvot during his lifetime. One might say that the essence of these mitzvot are connected in some way to a person's enjoyment and comfort in this world. One of the mitzvot enumerated by the Mishna there is Torah study. This mitzva demands a person's engagement beyond the realm of action: He must understand what he is studying. If a person does not understand anything of the Torah he studies, he does not fulfill the mitzva; comprehension is a necessary element of the mitzva of Torah study. Conversely, when a person dons tefillin, for example, no understanding of it is necessary. Whether or not he grasps the meaning of this mitzva or senses its power does not affect his basic fulfillment of it. A mitzva does not obligate its doer to even engage spiritually, nor does it promise him anything in return: "Mitzvot were not given for benefit" (Eiruvin 31a). Therefore, they do not come with any criteria of enjoyment. Another category of mitzva specified in the Mishna is charity and acts of kindness. While the physical enjoyment of one who performs the mitzva is irrelevant, the recipient's benefit is crucial and defines whether the mitzva was performed or not. It is a mitzva to feed the hungry, but it is not a mitzva to stuff food down the throat of a satiated person. Making peace between two people or between husband and wife is an important mitzva, but one may not interfere with the marital harmony of a couple who are living together happily in an attempt to perform this mitzva. The nature of these mitzvot lies in the benefit that the recipient receives. Only if he profits from it in a practical way is the mitzva fulfilled. Since the benefits of the mitzva must be manifest in this world in that the recipient reaps benefit from its fulfillment, the benefits to the doer also manifest in this world. At the same time that the recipient benefits, the doer of the mitzva receives an element of the reward of these mitzvot as well.

יֵשׁ נְקָבִים, עַל דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל, בַּלְּבוּשׁ הָעֶלְיוֹן, הַמַּקִּיף עַל גּוּפָא, הֵם הַכֵּלִים דְּיוּ״ד סְפִירוֹת, לְהָאִיר מֵהֶם וּלְהַשְׁפִּיעַ אוֹר וְשֶׁפַע,

can be described as causing there to be gaps, so to speak, in the supernal garment that encompasses the body, which are the vessels of the ten sefirot , so that light and life-giving sustenance shine forth and flow from them, through the sefirot, into this world. The other mitzvot are like a completely intact garment that does not allow anything to pass from the realm beyond this world to a person in this world. Only the mitzvot that fall under the category of acts of kindness have gaps, as it were, in their garments, through which something penetrates, by degree, so that it has an effect in this world as well.

מֵחֶסֶד דְּרוֹעָא יְמִינָא אוֹרֶךְ יָמִים בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה הַגַּשְׁמִי, וְעוֹשֶׁר וְכָבוֹד מִדְּרוֹעָא שְׂמָאלָא, וְכֵן בְּתִפְאֶרֶת, וְהוֹד וְהָדָר וְחֶדְוָה וכו׳.

From Ḥesed , the "right arm," stem long life in this physical world, and similarly wealth and honor stem from the "left arm," Gevura, and likewise with regard to the sefira of Tiferet , as well as majesty, splendor, gladness, and so on, which stem from the sefirot of Hod and Yesod. Something transcendent trickles into this world through the mitzva of charity. This flow from above comes through the ten sefirot, which correspond to the limbs of God. Just as a person's soul manifests itself in the material world through the limbs of his body, God is manifest in the world through the unique refraction that each of the sefirot offers. For example, through the sefira of Ḥesed, corresponding to God's right arm, He endows a person with his physical life span. Gevura corresponds to God's left arm, from which flows wealth and honor, as the verse states, "Length of days is on its right; on its left is wealth and honor" (Prov. 3:16). In the same vein, the Talmud states, "One who wishes to become wise should face south [which is Ḥesed ], and [one who wishes] to become wealthy should face north [which is Gevura ]. Your mnemonic [for this is that in the Temple] the Table [which symbolized blessing and abundance] was in the north, and the Candelabrum [which symbolized the light of wisdom] was in the south [of the Sanctuary]" (Bava Batra 25b). The "majesty, splendor, and gladness" that the author of the Tanya goes on to mention are manifest through the sefirot of Hod, Netzaḥ, and Yesod, respectively. The author of the Tanya is conveying that when a person performs a mitzva, a hidden stream of divine energy permeates the "gaps" in the encompassing light and descends from the higher worlds through the sefirot, ultimately reaching the doer in this lower world where he performed the mitzva. Until this point, the author of the Tanya has discussed the garment created by the mitzva of charity as hinted at in the verse "He donned charity like armor," and the gaps therein. Now he will explore the function of the armor's "scales."

אַךְ כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִנְקוּ הַחִיצוֹנִים לְמַעְלָה מֵאוֹר וְשֶׁפַע הַמִּשְׁתַּלְשֵׁל וְיוֹרֵד לְמַטָּה מַטָּה עַד עוֹלָם הַזֶּה הַגַּשְׁמִי,

However, to prevent the external forces of impurity above from drawing sustenance through these gaps from the light and flow devolving and descending steadily downward to this physical world, This penetration of the encompassing light into the inner realm poses a risk. The immense constriction engendered by the funneling that happens when the light goes through the gaps enables the light to be received in our world, yet the downscaling of this inestimable intensity in this way is also dangerous. When the limitations of distance and gradation are peeled away through the constriction, the light is left unprotected, effectively removing purpose and direction that were programmed into that light at the source. In its unadulterated form, it would be directed only toward good. The constriction strips the divine light of its destined address, leaving it vulnerable to being aimed at an unholy cause. The encompassing light invited by the mitzva that a person performs down here is not like a letter sent exclusively to a particular address. It is a divine endowment that opens a new world of possibilities, of boundless Ḥesed. The problem is that this Ḥesed is undifferentiated. It showers good on everyone, on the righteous and the wicked alike. When the sun shines, it shines on both flowers and trash; when the rain falls, it falls on everyone, on the wise man and the fool. The question thus arises: Who is receiving this divine effluence and are they fit to employ it properly? All the mitzvot that bear fruit in this world present this problem. They become vulnerable to corruption. Not only may the reward of a mitzva not be allotted in the best way, but it could even become an agent of destruction.

וְכֵן לְמַטָּה, לְהָגִין עַל הָאָדָם וּלְשָׁמְרוֹ וּלְהַצִּילוֹ מִכָּל דָּבָר רָע, בְּגַשְׁמִיּוּת וּבְרוּחָנִיּוּת,

and here below as well, in order to shield a person and to guard him and save him from all evil, material and spiritual, This macrocosmic scheme of the leaching of evil can happen in one's personal life as well. While a person needs Ḥesed, he must also be protected from it, because when it manifests in his life, it is not limited only by that which is good for the person right now. The bestowal of kindness can also be given to him in the manner of a deadly virus, an entity that spreads uncontrollably like unadulterated Ḥesed. Protection from anything evil must be in the form of the delineation of fences, of walls of armor, that shield the inner realm from outside attacks. This is where the armor's scales play a part.

לָזֹאת חוֹזֵר וּמֵאִיר אוֹר הַמַּקִּיף וְסוֹתֵם

for this purpose the encompassing light once again shines and fills the gap, figuratively speaking, for it is from the level of Ein Sof and encompasses all worlds, as stated above. Let us revisit the metaphor of the coat of mail, made up of scales that protect the gaps in the armor. In the spiritual garment composed of encompassing light engendered by the mitzva of charity, there are gaps through which the light penetrates and unites with the inner light. To protect the inner light from negative forces that would leach its light, the encompassing light of the mitzva is reflected back, filling in the gaps in the garment and thus enveloping and protecting the inner light. Each hole in the coat of mail has a scale that protects it. Every gap in the encompassing light leaves room for infiltration and needs protection. It is the encompassing light that provides that screen by refracting back to cover it so that the lines between the inner and outer dimensions will not be entirely blurred. This is the implication of the image of armor and scales, made to be a combination of hard and flexible. The hard parts are closed and protected from every angle ensuring that nothing penetrates. The flexible parts, whose relationship between the outside and inside is not fixed, needs extra protection. This essential protection comes from the encompassing light, not in its manifestation as categorically separate from the inner light but rather as the particularized encompassing light of the particular gap. Through this particularization, it successfully maintains the distinction between the inside and the outside, between the destined address of the divine energy and the unintended forces that attempt to usurp it.

וְזֶה שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ ז״ל: מִצְטָרֶפֶת לְחֶשְׁבּוֹן גָּדוֹל דַּיְיקָא,

This is the meaning of our Rabbis' statement that every penny that one gives "combines to form a great sum," specifically emphasizing the word "great," Just as the scales on a coat of armor join to create one garment, so does each and every penny given for charity combine to form a "great sum." The emphasis on "great" does not just imply the number of coins that a person gave to charity, but also to the inner spiritual essence of the mitzva. Contrary to worldly calculations, which are relatively small, the mitzva of charity adds up in God's calculation, which is a very great sum, indeed.

כִּי ״גָּדוֹל ה׳ וּמְהוּלָּל מְאֹד״ (תהלים מח, ב), בְּלִי סוֹף וְתַכְלִית וּגְבוּל [חַס וְשָׁלוֹם].

for it is written, "The Lord [Havaya ] is great and exceedingly praised" (Ps. 48:2), implying an endless greatness without any limit or boundary (God forbid). This word me'od, "exceedingly," is understood elsewhere to imply endless greatness without any limit. "A great sum" is compared to God's greatness, meaning that it is infinitely immense. Since charity is described as a "great sum," it is related to God's boundless greatness. This implies that through charity one draws directly from the light of Ein Sof, which encompasses from above, transcending even the highest stage of the order of progression, and it is drawn to the inner light, which is clothed in the ten sefirot hinted at in the name of Havaya, the name that is used in the verse quoted here. The coin that amounts to a great sum therefore accomplishes two things: It opens a window to receiving divine abundance and illumination from the realm of the encompassing light while simultaneously protecting that illumination from being lost.

אַךְ מִי הוּא הַגּוֹרֵם לִירִידַת הָאוֹר וְהַשֶּׁפַע לָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה הַגַּשְׁמִי, מִיּוּ״ד סְפִירוֹת הַנִּקְרָאִים גּוּפָא?

But what causes the descent of the divine light and flow to this physical world from the ten sefirot , which are called the "body"? Until now the author of the Tanya has discussed the descent of the supernal encompassing light to the ten sefirot of the world of Atzilut. Now he explains the descent of that light into our world.

הוּא הַיִּחוּד הַנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל,

It is the aforementioned unification of the Holy One, blessed be He, with His Divine Presence, The illumination that the author of the Tanya refers to is not the one drawn into reality to sustain its routine existence through the devolvement of the illumination of the ten sefirot from above to below. What he refers to here is an additional illumination from the level of Ein Sof, which transcends the sefirot and travels through them into this physical world. It is an illumination through which God Himself shines into His world and enters it, as it were. God does not shine this light perpetually but rather as a response to a person who performs a mitzva. It is an illumination that requires something from below to awaken it and draw it down. With the performance of a mitzva, a person causes the supernal, transcendent divine will to manifest in this world. This is called "the unification of the Holy One blessed be He with His Divine Presence."

שֶׁהִיא תּוֹסֶפֶת הֶאָרָה וְהַשְׁפָּעָה, מִבְּחִינַת אוֹר אֵין סוֹף הַמַּאֲצִיל הָעֶלְיוֹן בָּרוּךְ הוּא, בְּיֶתֶר שְׂאֵת עַל הַהֶאָרָה וְהַהַשְׁפָּעָה שֶׁבִּתְחִילַּת

which is an additional illumination and flow from the light of Ein Sof, the supernal Emanator, blessed be He, with greater intensity than the illumination and flow that is drawn

הָאֲצִילוּת וְהַהִשְׁתַּלְשְׁלוּת וכו׳.

down from the beginning of the emanation from the world of Atzilut and the progression through all the worlds, and so on. The illumination sparked by the mitzva act is a new radiance in the world that had not been part of it before. It is an addition to the divine light that perpetuates every minutiae of existence. The purpose of this novel light is not to sustain existent reality nor to change anything in the world but rather to birth something new that was not present before.

וְרֵאשִׁית תּוֹסֶפֶת הַהֶאָרָה וְהַהַשְׁפָּעָה הִיא לְרֵאשִׁית הַיּוּ״ד סְפִירוֹת,

The additional illumination and flow is first transmitted to the first of the ten sefirot , Ḥokhma . Ḥokhma is the first of the ten sefirot. When the sefira of Ḥokhma receives the new illumination, a new existence is created that develops and builds as the light descends through the ten sefirot.

וְזֶה הוּא: "וְכוֹבַע יְשׁוּעָה בְּרֹאשׁוֹ״ (ישעיה נט, יז).

This is the meaning of the words "a helmet of salvation on His head" from the verse cited at the beginning of the letter (Isa. 59:17). Until this point, the deeper meaning of "He donned charity like a coat of mail" has been explored. The author of the Tanya now explains the continuation of that verse: "and a helmet of salvation on His head." The helmet represents the light that transcends the process of progressive descent, like a hat that sits atop one's head, the foremost point from which vitality spreads to his whole being, and like the faculty of wisdom in one's soul, the first and foremost of the soul's faculties.

״יְשׁוּעָה״ הוּא מִלְּשׁוֹן ״וַיִּשַׁע ה׳ אֶל הֶבֶל וְאֶל מִנְחָתוֹ״.

The word yeshua , salvation, in the verse is related to the word for turn, as in the verse "And the Lord turned [vayisha ] toward Abel and to his offering" (Gen. 4:4). God's "turning" implies His revelation and shining countenance. A "helmet of salvation," therefore, is the revelation of the encompassing light, which rests "on His head," beyond Ḥokhma, the inception of the ten sefirot.

וְהוּא יְרִידַת הָאוֹר וְהַשֶּׁפַע דְּש״ע נְהוֹרִין שֶׁבַּזֹּהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ (חלק א ד, ב),

This hints at the descent of the light and flow of the 370 lights mentioned in the holy Zohar (1:4b), This idea is mentioned in several sources, and it can be viewed in the following illustrative way: Something "interesting" happens in the world and God turns, looking at it anew, and through this creates new worlds, new existences. Imagine that a person creates some sort of innovation and now stands in front of it, but he is disconnected from it, the creator and the creation. Yet sometimes something from within his creation stirs him anew, catches his attention, and deeply resonates with him. The creator turns to involve himself once again with his creation. This is the essence of every mitzva. It calls God to turn and involve Himself with that person and the world.

וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: ״יָאֵר ה׳ פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ״ (במדבר ו, כה),

as it is written, "The Lord shall shine His countenance toward you" (Num. 6:25), This verse expresses the divine turning, the shining of God's countenance and light anew into reality. "You" refers to those who are fulfilling the mitzvot and sparking a new illumination that lights up creation. A distant but helpful example would be to imagine a familiar painting that suddenly appears new. The smile on the painted face is suddenly wider. This type of newness, this fresh illumination in the world, is created when a mitzva is performed: God shines His countenance, and the whole world that had previously crystallized in a certain fashion now appears totally new. It literally becomes a different world.

״יָאֵר פָּנָיו אִתָּנוּ סֶלָה״ (תהלים סז, ב). ״אִתָּנוּ״ הוּא עַל יְדֵי מַעֲשֵׂה הַצְּדָקָה.

and "May He shine His countenance upon us, Selah" (Ps. 67:2) – that is, God becomes a partner "with us" through the act of charity. God not only shines His countenance "upon us" but "with us" (the word itanu, "upon us," in the verse can also be translated as "with us"). When a person gives charity, especially with a beaming countenance, he becomes a partner with God.

וְזֶה הוּא: ״זוֹרֵעַ צְדָקוֹת מַצְמִיחַ יְשׁוּעוֹת״.

This is the meaning of the phrase recited in the morning prayers "He sows charity and brings forth salvation." When a person gives a coin to charity, he sows a seed from which salvation sprouts. One cannot reap without planting. These words of conclusion parallel the author of the Tanya's opening verse: "He donned charity like a coat of mail and a helmet of salvation on His head."

וְכָכָה יָאֵר ה' פָּנָיו אֲלֵיהֶם, צִדְקָתָם עוֹמֶדֶת לָעַד וְקַרְנָם תָּרוּם

May God indeed shine His countenance upon you. May your charity stand forever and your horn be raised with the salvation of the One who springs forth the horn of salvation, a sprouting of charity from the aforementioned "helmet of salvation," The author of the Tanya concludes this letter with words of blessing aimed at the recipients of the letter and givers of charity. The end of the letter, like its beginning, is composed of various biblical verses that mention and summarize the main content of the letter. These concluding words convey that the horn of salvation burgeons forth and ascends, bursting forth from the garment of charity and the helmet of salvation, as discussed in the body of the letter.

כְּנֶפֶשׁ תִּדְרְשֶׁנּוּ.

in accordance with the soul that seeks Him. These concluding words sum up everything. The salvation that a person merits is commensurate with his giving of charity. A person receives salvation to the extent that he gives the charity. This is what "in accordance with the soul that seeks Him" implies: to the extent that you turn your heart and soul toward your friend's needs, so you can "seek Him" – you can anticipate salvation and an illuminated countenance from above. There are two facets to this dynamic. On the one hand, when we perform mitzvot, we imitate God. It is in this vein that the Sages interpret the verse "This is my God and I will glorify Him" (Ex. 15:2) as "Be similar to Him. Just as He is compassionate and merciful, so too should you be compassionate and merciful" (Shabbat 133b). We emulate God and, in so doing, strive to actualize the divine image within us. There is also another facet: When we perform mitzvot, God imitates us, as it were. Our actions create a model of how God will interact with the world afterward. These are the two layers of "the soul that seeks Him": We receive and give at the same time, emulating God while God is mirroring us. In the way we give, He gives. The Midrash comments on the verse "Who surpasses Me? I will pay" (Job 41:3) that for a person who does not yet have a house but occupies himself with the mitzva of mezuza, or does not have a garment yet prepares tzitzit, God makes sure to provide him with what he lacks to enable him to perform that mitzva. When a person ensures that he has a mezuza, God ensures that he has a home. When a person makes it his business to donate to children's Torah institutions, God gives him children. The point is that when a person takes the initiative, when he acts above and beyond his obligation in terms of giving, God gives him accordingly, above and beyond this world, shining His countenance on him and recreating his world.