אֵין יִשְׂרָאֵל נִגְאָלִים אֶלָּא בִּצְדָקָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְשָׁבֶיהָ בִּצְדָקָה״ (ישעיה א, כז). כְּתִיב: ״צֶדֶק לְפָנָיו יְהַלֵּךְ״ (תהלים פה, יד), וַהֲוָה לֵיהּ לְמֵימַר: יֵלֵךְ. אַךְ הָעִנְיָן, עַל פִּי מַה שֶּׁכָּתוּב: ״לְךָ אָמַר לִבִּי בַּקְּשׁוּ פָנָי״ (תהלים כז, ח). פֵּירוּשׁ: בַּקְּשׁוּ פְּנִימִית הַלֵּב.

The Jewish people are redeemed only through charity, as the verse states, "Zion will be redeemed with justice, and its returnees with charity" (Isa. 1:27). In addition, it is written, "Justice will go [yehalekh ] before Him" (Ps. 85:14). It should have said yelekh. The matter can be understood based on the verse "For You my heart said: Seek Me" (Ps. 27:8), meaning, seek the inner dimension of the heart. The author of the Tanya opens the letter by quoting a verse that refers to the Jewish people's redemption from captivity and exile through charity. Then, in the way of hasidic discourses, the author of the Tanya immediately transitions into a different thread, which will explain the psalmist's word choice, yehalekh, which literally means "will cause to go," instead of yelekh, "will go," to which he will return toward the end of the letter. He begins his explanation by quoting yet another verse in which the word panai, "me," or more literally, "my face," is usually understood in the context of this verse as referring to God. However, the author of the Tanya explains it in a different light. The word panai resembles the word penim which connotes that which is internal. From this perspective, the verse can be understood as referring to one's heart speaking to a person and urging him, "Seek my innermost dimension." Further on, the author of the Tanya will explain what is meant by the innermost dimension of the heart and how it is the pathway to reaching the inner dimension of the Divine.

כִּי הִנֵּה בְּלַהַב יְסוֹד הָאֵשׁ הָאֱלֹקִית שֶׁבַּלֵּב (נוּסָּח אַחֵר: הִנֵּה בְּהַלֵּב [יְסוֹד הָאֵשׁ הָאֱלֹקִית שֶׁבַּלֵּב])

For in the flame of the element of divine fire that is in the heart [alternatively: For in the heart (the element of divine fire that is in the heart)], Both versions of this clause state how the flame of divine fire, which manifests as fervor and passion for the Divine, burns in the heart of the divine soul. The heart, in contrast to the mind, expresses the soul's emotions, which are embodied by the spiritual element of fire that ascends upward like flame and is manifest as desire and yearning for the Divine. The element of water, on the other hand, corresponds to the intellectual facet of a person, and serves as the capability to receive and allow things to flow downward into the inner recesses of the soul.

יֵשׁ שְׁתֵּי בְּחִינוֹת: בְּחִינַת חִיצוֹנִיּוּת וּבְחִינַת פְּנִימִיּוּת.

there are two dimensions: the external dimension and the inner dimension. This does not refer to externality and internality in their standard usage as the difference between what is displayed outward and what is contained inward, like the difference between an action that a person does with intention felt authentically inside and an action performed only so that it will be seen from the outside. This does not even refer to the broader usage as the difference between that which is primary and that which is secondary. Rather, here both the external and internal dimensions of the heart engender genuine emotions, authentic sensations that a person feels. If that is the case, what is the difference between internal and external expression?

‘חִיצוֹנִיּוֹת הַלֵּב׳ הִיא הִתְלַהֲבוּת הַמִּתְלַהֶבֶת מִבְּחִינַת הַבִּינָה וְהַדַּעַת בִּגְדוּלַּת ה׳ אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא, [לְהִתְבּוֹנֵן] בִּגְדוּלָּתוֹ וּלְהוֹלִיד מִתְּבוּנָה זוֹ אַהֲבָה עַזָּה כְּרִשְׁפֵּי אֵשׁ וכו׳.

The external dimension of the heart is the ardor of the heart that is evoked through the understanding and knowledge of the greatness of God, Ein Sof , blessed be He, by contemplating His greatness and generating from this understanding a love for God as fierce as sparks of fire, and so on. The external facet of the heart is the awakening of emotion engendered by intellectual contemplation and awareness. When a person contemplates the greatness of God in a way that inspires him personally and has significance for him, he engenders an emotional response within. In other sources, this response is considered the preferred way to attain love and fear of God, called "intellectual love and fear," because awareness transforms a person and moves him from one spiritual state to another. The deeper it is, the deeper and more blazing the emotion engendered from it will be. The author of the Tanya refers to this love, though genuine, as the external dimension of the heart because it is evoked by the intellectual faculties, which are external relative to the heart itself. Furthermore, such contemplation does not happen within the internal dimension of the divine essence, a dimension that the mind cannot grasp, but only through the divine illumination that shines into the world, a manifestation of the divine essence that is external to the divine essence. This external dimension of the heart has great advantages in that it can be evoked and directed at any time through the immediate spiritual work of a person's will and intellect, but it is limited in its power and scope due to the limitations of the person's consciousness, which serves as its foundation.

וּפְנִימִיּוּת הַלֵּב הִיא הַנְּקוּדָּה שֶׁבִּפְנִימִיּוּת הַלֵּב וְעוּמְקָא דְּלִיבָּא, שֶׁהִיא לְמַעְלָה מַעְלָה מִבְּחִינַת הַדַּעַת וְהַתְּבוּנָה שֶׁיּוּכַל הָאָדָם לְהִתְבּוֹנֵן בְּלִבּוֹ בִּגְדוּלַּת ה׳,

The inner dimension of the heart is the innermost point in the heart, the depth of the heart, which transcends the faculty of knowledge and understanding with which a person may contemplate God's greatness in his heart, The intellect cannot define or even reach this innermost point of the heart. It is deeper and more fundamental than anything a person can ever apprehend through contemplation. This point is bound to those things that touch on the essence of a person's life, the very existence of his soul.

וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: ״מִמַּעֲמַקִּים קְרָאתִיךָ ה׳״ (תהלים קל, א), מֵעוּמְקָא דְּלִיבָּא.

as it is written, "Out of the depths I call to You, Lord" (Ps. 130:1) – from the depths of the heart. The author of the Tanya interprets this verse, not as referring to a deep, dark place that a person falls into and from which he calls to God, but rather to a person who calls to God "from the depths of his heart." The person calls to God, not from the external and conscious aspect of his soul, but from a deeper source, from the depth of the innermost quintessence of his being.

(וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל, כְּמוֹ בְּמִילֵּי דְּעָלְמָא

(By way of analogy, it is like in matters of this world The external and internal dimensions of the heart are not only modes through which the soul relates to the world of holiness, but they come to play in all worldly pursuits as well. The love or hate that a person feels toward some things were cultivated from his more external, conscious faculties, while his relationship to others seems to be rooted much deeper within the soul itself. This reflects these two dimensions of the soul: the inner dimension and the more external dimension.

לִפְעָמִים יֵשׁ עִנְיָן גָּדוֹל מְאֹד מְאֹד שֶׁכָּל חַיּוּת הָאָדָם תָּלוּי בּוֹ, וְנוֹגֵעַ עַד נְקוּדַּת פְּנִימִיּוּת הַלֵּב וְעַד בִּכְלָל,

where there is sometimes an extremely important matter on which a person's entire life depends, and it affects a person to the core, up to and including the innermost point of the heart, The important matter that the author of the Tanya refers to is not necessarily significant in an objective sense, but for this particular person it is essential, to the extent that he cannot imagine life without it. This distinction plays itself out when a person must relinquish something that belongs to him. Every person has things that he values, that he thinks are important, but when push comes to shove, he can give them up. Then there are things to which he has a deep connection, not because of any rational reason, but rather because of some inexplicable bond between that thing and the essence of his soul. Those he cannot give up, except through extraordinary effort that entails giving of his very self. These things vary from person to person. For one person, giving money touches upon this point in his soul, while for another, money is nothing, not because he is wealthy, but because money does not touch on the inner dimension of his heart. Rather, there will be other things that he cannot relinquish. When the inner point is touched, a person forgets all external factors: education, position, and image. When the quintessential self takes over, with one's knowledge or without, this is the aspect called the "innermost point of the heart." This is the meeting point between the self and the soul of the self, between the self and the self within the self, as reflected in its pure essence, beyond all comprehension.

וְגוֹרֵם לוֹ לִפְעָמִים לַעֲשׂוֹת מַעֲשִׂים וּלְדַבֵּר דְּבָרִים שֶׁלֹּא בְּדַעַת כְּלָל.)

sometimes causing him to commit acts and say things that are completely irrational.) As long as a person is acting with his external faculties, his intellect regains control over his emotions, over the way in which he expresses his desires, and to a certain degree over his personality. He can maintain a critical eye on himself, choosing how he acts. He may enjoy and love what he is doing, but it is all informed by rationale, by what he knows and the way in which he knows it. When something strikes the inner core of a person's heart, on the other hand, he will act irrationally. He will say and do things that evade his censor, and his whole way of relating will not stem from what he understands and knows intellectually but rather from the essence of his being. When that which a person is able to give up is taken away from him, even if he worked for it for years, he will react with equanimity. While he certainly may fight for what he feels is important, he will ultimately give it up when necessary. By contrast, when something that is bound to the inner dimension of a person's heart is at stake, he acts irrationally, with an explosion of emotions and energies that he does not even know he has since they are rooted in the essence of his being, in a layer so deep that he does not even know it exists. One time, a car ran over a baby, and the mother, who was small in stature, ran to the car and hoisted it up. By any calculation, she would have been incapable of lifting a car, but when something is bound to the deepest recesses of the heart, such calculations have no relevance. It is like the difference between a person who gets poked in the finger and someone who gets poked in the nerve. The intense reaction to the direct contact with the nerve is a result of pain that is not external or filtered but directly plugged into the source of the sensation.

וְזֶה לְעוּמַּת זֶה, כָּכָה הוּא מַמָּשׁ בַּעֲבוֹדָה שֶׁבַּלֵּב.

Corresponding to the analogy of the worldly example, it is exactly the same with regard to the service of the heart. Elsewhere, the author of the Tanya explains how the innermost point of the heart within every Jew is his connection to God. When a Jew senses that this connection is threatened, he acts in a way that does not seem at all in proportion to what provoked him. Jewish history is replete with stories about people whose lives were not connected in any obvious way to Judaism or to the Jewish community, yet when something struck that inner spiritual nerve, in one way or another, it was as if something burst out of them, and they acted in totally unexpected ways, even to the extent of literally giving up their lives.

וְהַיְינוּ לְפִי שֶׁבְּחִינַת נְקוּדַּת פְּנִימִית הַלֵּב הִיא לְמַעְלָה מִבְּחִינַת הַדַּעַת הַמִּתְפַּשֵּׁט וּמִתְלַבֵּשׁ בַּמִּדּוֹת שֶׁנּוֹלְדוּ מֵחָכְמָה בִּינָה דַּעַת כַּנּוֹדָע,

This is because the innermost point of the heart transcends the faculty of knowledge, which spreads and becomes clothed in the emotive attributes, which are engendered from the faculties of wisdom, understanding, and knowledge, as is known. The inner and outer dimensions of the heart operate on two different tracks. The workings of the external dimension operate according to an organized track that carries a thought or concept from one spiritual level to the next, starting from the intellect and moving to the emotive attributes. It starts from the top, from the first flash of awareness that is wisdom, which is then analyzed and expanded through the faculty of understanding, and then becomes integrated into one's being through the faculty of knowledge. That knowledge then gives birth to the emotive attributes and informs the soul whether to be attracted to the concept or repulsed by it, evoking feelings of love or fear. These attributes, which stem from the external, conscious dimension of the heart, can be viewed as the emotional application of knowledge. They are informed by the knowledge and are therefore beneath it.

רַק הִיא בְּחִינַת הֶאָרַת חָכְמָה עֶלְיוֹנָה שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה מֵהַבִּינָה וְהַדַּעַת,

Rather, it takes the form of a ray of supernal Ḥokhma , Wisdom, that transcends the attributes of Bina , Understanding, and Da'at , Knowledge, By contrast, there is another track, one that the internal dimension of the heart uses to express itself, which does not pass through all the stages of awareness. In contrast to the external dimension of the heart, which can only register the flash of wisdom through the faculties of understanding and knowledge, the inner point of the heart can decipher that pure spark of wisdom directly.

וּבָהּ מְלוּבָּשׁ וְגָנוּז אוֹר ה' מַמָּשׁ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: ״ה׳ בְּחָכְמָה וכו׳״ (משלי ג, יט).

and the light of God itself is literally clothed and hidden within this supernal Ḥokhma, as it is written, "The Lord founded the earth with wisdom…" (Prov 3:19). While the simple understanding of this verse is that it is a praise to God who created the intricately elaborate world with His divine wisdom, the author of the Tanya explains it as describing the kabbalistic process of the creation of the world. The first two words describe the very beginning of the process: God is "in Ḥokhma," within the sefira of Ḥokhma. The divine name used in this verse, the name of Havaya, is the name that represents the divine light that fills the vessels of the sefirot. This light first enters the sefira of Ḥokhma, and only through Ḥokhma does it shine and manifest in the other sefirot. Just as in the soul the flash of wisdom is the beginning of perception, so too in the macrocosm Ḥokhma is the very inception of existence. It is the point that serves as a mediator between the conscious and the subconscious, between nothingness and existence, and therefore it is only through Ḥokhma that the light of Ein Sof manifests, transcendent of every limit and definition.

וְהִיא הִיא בְּחִינַת נִיצוֹץ אֱלֹקוּת שֶׁבְּכָל נֶפֶשׁ מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל.

This ray of supernal Ḥokhma, in which the divine light is clothed, is the very spark of divinity that is in the soul of every Jew. The innermost point in the inner dimension of the heart, which is the essence of the soul, is synonymous with the point of Ḥokhma that transcends Bina and Da'at and all the other sefirot, the point of the divine spark that transcends everything. The awakening to divine service from the innermost dimension of the heart therefore stems from the manifestation of the essence of the Divine itself, as it were, which is the divine spark in a person's soul.

וּמַה שֶּׁאֵין כָּל אָדָם זוֹכֶה לְמַדְרֵגָה זוֹ, לַעֲבוֹדָה שֶׁבַּלֵּב מֵעוּמְקָא דְּלִבָּא בִּבְחִינַת פְּנִימִיּוּת,

That not every person merits this level, namely, the service of the heart from the depths of the heart, the innermost dimension, There are levels of divine service that depend on one's comprehension, on one's abilities and effort, yet every person possesses this innermost point at the heart's core. The soul of every Jew, not just of outstanding people, is a portion of God on high. Every individual possesses this Godly spark. If that is the case, why doesn't every person merit serving God in an active and revealed way from this place deep within?

הַיְינוּ לְפִי שֶׁבְּחִינָה זוֹ הִיא אֶצְלוֹ בִּבְחִינַת גָּלוּת וְשִׁבְיָה.

is because this level is in a state of exile and captivity within a person. While this innermost point, this Godly spark, lies at the core of every Jew, it is not openly manifest. The exile and captivity of the sacred inner dimension of the heart is not a matter of superficial parameters, but rather a result of deep, inner blockages in one's animal soul caused by desires and fears that conceal and restrain the inner dimension of the soul, keeping it in captivity.

וְהִיא בְּחִינַת גָּלוּת הַשְּׁכִינָה מַמָּשׁ,

This is literally the exile of the Divine Presence, The exile of the Divine Presence is synonymous with the exile of a person's divine spark, which becomes subjugated to the faculties of the animal soul and thus concealed by them. The author of the Tanya does not say that the exile of a person's spark is analogous to the exile of the Divine Presence, but that they are "literally" one and the same. Man, after all, is a microcosm, and everything that happens and exists within him is an actual microcosmic reflection of the reality of the broader world.

כִּי הִיא

for the innermost point of the heart is none other than the spark of divinity within one's divine soul. If this spark is in exile within a given person, this signifies that in the broader sphere the Divine Presence is also in exile. This means that the Divine Presence no longer expresses itself, no longer manifests in the world in a clear and revealed way, but rather its influence is manifest in ways that oppose and even negate its very existence.

וְסִבַּת הַגָּלוּת הוּא מַאֲמַר רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זַ״ל: ״גָּלוּ לְבָבֶל שְׁכִינָה עִמָּהֶם״ (מגילה כט, א).

The cause of this exile is, as our Rabbis state, that "they were exiled to Babylonia, and the Divine Presence went with them" (Megilla 29a). The exile of the Divine Presence is not just an uprooting of an individual or the Jewish people from their geographic location, but it is primarily a spiritual dislocation. When the Jewish people experience a spiritual descent, the Divine Presence descends there as well. Just as this applies in the macrocosmic scheme of the entire nation and the Divine Presence in general, it also applies to every individual Jew and his personal Divine Presence within, the divine spark within that descends with a person into whatever lowly place of exile he may find himself. In this light, the exile of the Divine Presence is the result of the overall exile of the Jewish people and of the individual exile of the divine soul in each and every Jew.

דְּהַיְינוּ מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהִלְבִּישׁ בְּחִינַת פְּנִימִית נְקוּדַּת לְבָבוֹ בְּזֶה לְעוּמַּת זֶה,

This is because a person invested the innermost point of his heart in the counterpart to holiness, "This corresponding to that" is a common expression describing the dynamic of good and evil, how the framework of good and holiness has an equal and opposite counterpart of evil and impurity. When a person invests in pursuits that parallel yet counteract holiness rather than investing the inner point of one's heart where it is supposed to be, in sacred matters, then he effectively sends his personal Divine Presence, his divine spark within, into exile.

דְּהַיְינוּ בִּלְבוּשִׁים צוֹאִים דְּמִילֵּי דְּעָלְמָא, וְתַאֲוֹת עוֹלָם הַזֶּה הַנִּקְרָא בְּשֵׁם ״בָּבֶל״.

namely, in the soiled garments of worldly matters and the desires of this world, which are referred to by the name Babylonia. This does not necessarily refer to sin but rather to all worldly matters and indulgences in which a person partakes as an end in and of themselves, without any connection to holiness. When a person invests his desires and thoughts into worldly matters, when he places the external dimension of his heart in "Babylonia," then the innermost point of his heart will become captive there as well. The inner dimension of his heart, which has the potential to imbue him with all the power and vitality that he could ever dream of, is being employed for superficial and trivial purposes rather than the deeply significant mission for which it was destined. If a person were to know that the quintessential point of his heart is purely divine, he would be able to accomplish things that far transcend his own capacity. His entire life would be different. But this point is concealed in the external kelippot, in murky, soiled garments that conceal the source of their vitality and life force.

וְהִיא בְּחִינַת עָרְלָה הַמְכַסָּה עַל הַבְּרִית וּנְקוּדָּה הַפְּנִימִית שֶׁבַּלֵּב.

This state of exile is considered like the foreskin that conceals the covenant of circumcision in that it conceals the innermost point of the heart. Just as a man's physical body has a foreskin that covers the masculine organ, the place of the covenant of circumcision, there is a foreskin of the heart that covers the innermost point of the heart, a person's deep, inner truth, preventing it from manifesting. It is relegated to expressing itself only through the veil of the foreskin. The result of this is that one's innermost yearning will latch onto other people's cravings for various goals and not God's intended vision for the fulfillment of that person's unique soul mission.

וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר: ״וּמַלְתֶּם אֵת עָרְלַת לְבַבְכֶם״ (דברים י, טז).

Regarding this the verse states, "Remove the obstruction of your heart" (Deut. 10:16). Just as there is a mitzva to circumcise and remove the physical foreskin, every person must remove his spiritual foreskin to reveal the innermost point of his heart. This directive does not imply that a person should cut into his heart, to squelch all feeling and sensation. The intention here is only to remove the kelippa that is covering it, to reveal the rawness of one's genuine heart, without any veil. The foreskin of the heart that we are commanded to remove includes all those things in which the heart is invested that do not have any real, lasting substance in and of themselves. These are things that cause the deviation and distortion of the innermost point of one's heart. On a deeper level, then, the instruction to remove the foreskin of the heart is a directive to free oneself of the concealment of one's most essential self and bring himself to a spiritual redemption.

וְהִנֵּה בְּמִילָה יֵשׁ שְׁנֵי בְּחִינוֹת: מִילָה וּפְרִיעָה, שֶׁהֵן עָרְלָה גַּסָּה וּקְלִיפָּה דַּקָּה. וְכֵן בְּעָרְלַת הַלֵּב

There are two stages to the mitzva of circumcision: mila , excision, and peria , uncovering, which remove the coarse foreskin and the thin membrane, respectively. Similarly, in the foreskin of the heart there are also coarse desires and more subtle ones, requiring mila and peria respectively, There are several ways of understanding the subtle distinction between coarse desires and more refined ones. In a general sense, the coarse desires are those that are clearly bad desires, while the more refined desires are those that are not clearly bad.

וּ״מָל וְלֹא פָּרַע כְּאִלּוּ לֹא מָל״ (משנה שבת פרק יט משנה ו). מִפְּנֵי שֶׁסּוֹף סוֹף עֲדַיִין נְקוּדַּת פְּנִימִית הַלֵּב הִיא מְכוּסָּה בִּלְבוּשׁ שַׂק דַּק בִּבְחִינַת גָּלוּת וְשִׁבְיָה.

and "if one circumcised but did not uncover the flesh, it is as if he had not circumcised" (Mishna Shabbat 19:6), because ultimately the innermost point of the heart remains concealed in a garment of thin sackcloth, in a state of exile and captivity. One of the laws of circumcision is that if a person removes the coarse layer but not the fine layer – mila but not peria – he did not perform the mitzva. Likewise, even after the removal of several coarse kelippot, if the innermost point of the heart is coated with ulterior motives and desires, he is still spiritually uncircumcised. That which puts a person in exile is not quantitative, but qualitative, so that as long as there is still kelippa, no matter how thin and subtle, the inner dimension of the heart is still in a state of exile. In essence, the Divine Presence is captive. There is certainly a difference between a coarse membrane and a fine one, just as there is a difference between a bitter and painful exile and an exile that is not perceptible. In a certain sense, there is a benefit to a harsh and painful exile, since at least the person is aware that he is in exile and wants to be liberated. When a person knows that he is committing a transgression, he wants to resist, while if he is not aware of a subtle transgression that he may be committing, it is harder and more complicated to rectify it. Either way, coarse or subtle, exile is exile.

וְהִנֵּה עַל מִילַת הָעָרְלָה מַמָּשׁ כְּתִיב: "וּמַלְתֶּם אֵת עָרְלַת לְבַבְכֶם" (דברים י, טז) – אַתֶּם בְּעַצְמְכֶם ,

Regarding the circumcision of the coarse foreskin itself, it is written, "Remove the obstruction of your heart" (Deut. 10:16) – you yourselves shall remove it. In one way or another, every person can fix his attributes and overcome his bad desires, peeling them off his soul. This occurs in the realm of his coarse desires, in which he can clearly distinguish between what is kelippa and what is not. Here a person can triumph over problems and rectify blemishes that he recognizes and understands. When he knows that a given desire is forbidden, when he feels that he has a choice, then the slicing is very simple. He knows that he cannot be on two mutually exclusive sides at the same time. He knows that he cannot free his innermost point when he is sunken in this desire. No matter how hard he must work, he is capable of fighting and winning this war.

אַךְ לְהָסִיר הַקְּלִיפָּה הַדַּקָּה – זֶהוּ דָּבָר הַקָּשֶׁה עַל הָאָדָם,

But removing the thin membrane is a difficult matter for a person, The distinction between a thin kelippa and holiness is much harder to make and is essentially impossible for the person himself to distinguish. Since this kelippa does not have clear parameters, it is very hard to hone in on the place where the severance must be made, where the kelippa ends and the person's self begins, and to harness the necessary faculties to remove it. The whole essence of this kelippa is the entanglement of the self within it, that element of personal investment that causes the distortion of things for one's own personal gain. When the question of what is right and what is wrong depends on the person's subjective judgment, the solution is ambiguous. On the one hand, a person needs to do this himself, because no one else can assess these subtle, delicate matters from the outside. On the other hand, when a person judges himself, when he is both judge and culprit, he does not have an objective way to evaluate the situation. This kelippa hardly ever presents itself as kelippa, as actual evil. Entangled in one's every move, it always expresses as an element of holiness, and therefore there is no clear way for a person to discern it, let alone remove it.

וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר בְּבִיאַת הַמָּשִׁיחַ: ״וּמָל ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת לְבָבְךָ כו׳

and regarding this the verse states about the coming of the Messiah, "The Lord your God will remove the obstruction from your heart… This implies that the removal of the thin kelippa will only happen in the future, in messianic times, when the Divine and its involvement in our lives will be evident far beyond our current perception. It would seem that there is a contradiction between the verse "Remove the obstruction from your heart," which implies that one should remove the foreskin covering one's heart himself, and the verse "The Lord your God will remove the obstruction from your heart," conveying that God will do so. The author of the Tanya resolves this contradiction by pointing out that circumcision of the heart entails both aspects, mila and peria. The first verse speaks about mila, the part that we must do, and the second verse refers to peria, the part that only God can and will do in the future with the coming of the Messiah.

לְאַהֲבָה אֶת ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל נַפְשְׁךָ לְמַעַן חַיֶּיךָ״ (דברים ל, ו),

to love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, for the sake of your life" (Deut. 30:6), The continuation of the verse tells us that only after the total revelation of the innermost point of the heart, after the peria and the removal of the thin kelippa membrane, can one attain a strong and deep love of God that flows from this innermost point to the extent that a person feels: This is what it means to be alive.

כְּלוֹמַר, ״לְמַעַן״ כִּי ה׳ לְבַדּוֹ הוּא כָּל חַיֶּיךָ מַמָּשׁ.

meaning, "for the sake" of the absolute recognition that God alone is literally your whole life. The author of the Tanya explains that the Torah's usage of the words lema'an ḥayeḥa, "for the sake of your life," implies that every person has something that touches on the innermost point of his life, something he cannot give up for anything, because he cannot live without it. Through the revelation that "the Lord your God will remove the obstruction from your heart," a person can tap into this feeling that there is nothing but God. He will arrive at this feeling, not amid the concealment of exile, but in a palpable and real way. This is the personal point of redemption of every individual in which he feels that his love of God is his life, his very definition of the perception of reality.

שֶׁלָּכֵן אַהֲבָה זוֹ הִיא מֵעוּמְקָא דְּלִבָּא, מִנְּקוּדָּה פְּנִימִית מַמָּשׁ, כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל, וּלְמַעְלָה מִבְּחִינַת הַדַּעַת.

This is why this love stems from the depths of the heart, from the innermost point, as stated above, transcending the faculty of knowledge. As explained above, there is a love that stems from the external dimension of the heart, that is created through cognitive awareness, through knowledge, from that which a person understands and knows. Then there is a deeper love that flows from the depths of a person's heart. The distinction between them does not just manifest itself in matters of holiness. We determine our relationship to certain aspects of our lives, positive or negative, according to our awareness. Then there are other things to which we relate based on the innermost recesses of our heart. These sentiments are not built on a person's understanding nor are they dependent on his conscious awareness or knowledge. Any rational explanations are but cover-ups for the real reason that lies beyond the reaches of his intellect. Just as a healthy person does not need any reason to love himself and that which belongs to him, so too he does not need any additional contemplation when he feels that God is literally his life, the inner depth of his own being.

וְלָכֵן מָשִׁיחַ בָּא בְּהֶיסַּח הַדַּעַת

Therefore, the Messiah will come by means of a diversion of attention The ultimate redemption and the coming of the Messiah are synonymous with the escape from exile in all its manifestations and levels, which comes along with the revelation of the innermost point of reality, the divine spark. This redemption parallels the revelation of the innermost point of a person's heart and the welling up of that deep, internal emotion that transcends awareness. It is for this reason that the Talmud teaches that the Messiah will come as a result of a diversion of attention. On a deeper level, this refers to a suspension of the faculty of knowledge, because then reality will not be comprised of phenomena that we are familiar with but rather will flow from a deeper, hidden source that does not come through knowledge but rather through a suspension of knowledge.

לִכְלָלוּת יִשְׂרָאֵל.

by Israel as a whole. Every person can have his own personal redemption in which the innermost point of his heart becomes revealed. This personal redemption does not wait for the end of days. It can come to every person each in his own time. But when we speak about the coming of the Messiah, we refer to a collective redemption, which heralds a transformation for every person forever, not just for a private individual regarding his own private affairs, but for the collective soul of the entire Jewish nation as a whole.

וְהִיא גִּילּוּי בְּחִינַת נְקוּדָּה פְּנִימִית הַכְּלָלִית וִיצִיאַת הַשְּׁכִינָה הַכְּלָלִית מֵהַגָּלוּת וְהַשִּׁבְיָה לָעַד וּלְעוֹלְמֵי עוֹלָמִים.

The revelation of the innermost point in the heart of the collective Jewish people is the revelation of the innermost point of the totality of existence and the exodus of the totality of the Divine Presence from the state of exile and captivity forever and for all of eternity. There is a close bond between an individual's personal redemption and that of the entire Jewish people and that of all the worlds. All events, from those recounted in the Torah to major historical events that have become engraved on the collective psyche of the Jewish people, happen at every moment, recurring and becoming etched on the psyche of each and every person. The cycle of descent to Egypt and the subsequent exodus, from exile to redemption, expresses the life cycle of every individual as well. While one's personal redemption is an outcome of a particular revelation that emerges from his unique situation at that time, there will also be a revelation in the collective redemption that the verse describes as "The glory of the Lord will be revealed and all flesh will see together that the mouth of the Lord has spoken" (Isa. 40:5). God is here, in the world, as He was before the creation of the world and as He will be after the world ceases to exist. The difference lies only in our perception. When an individual person sees the revelation of the Divine, this constitutes his personal redemption. When the world sees it, it will constitute the collective redemption of the entire world.

וְכֵן כָּל נִיצוֹץ פְּרָטִי מֵהַשְּׁכִינָה שֶׁבְּנֶפֶשׁ כָּל אֶחָד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל יוֹצֵאת מֵהַגָּלוּת וְהַשִּׁבְיָה לְפִי שָׁעָה בְּ״חַיֵּי שָׁעָה״ זוֹ תְּפִלָּה וַעֲבוֹדָה שֶׁבַּלֵּב. מֵעוּמְקָא דְּלִבָּא, מִבְּחִינַת נְקוּדָּה הַפְּנִימִית הַנִּגְלֵית מֵהָעָרְלָה, וְעוֹלֶה לְמַעְלָה לְדָבְקָה בּוֹ בִּתְשׁוּקָה עַזָּה בִּבְחִינַת ״לְמַעַן חַיֶּיךָ״.

Similarly, each individual spark of the Divine Presence that is in the soul of every Jew leaves the exile and captivity temporarily during the temporal life that is prayer and the service of the heart from the depths of the heart, from the innermost point revealed from behind the foreskin, and ascends on high to cling to Him with fierce longing, the kind that is "for the sake of your life." Every person can get a taste of the ultimate redemption and release from all kelippot, though this personal redemption is only temporary and the soul does not acquire it permanently. This redemption depends on heartfelt prayer, which the Talmud refers to as "temporal life." Such prayer reveals the inner dimension of the heart, freeing it from all its trappings. At that moment, a person identifies fully with the inner dimension of his heart, which is the divine spark within. In the prayerful moment, when a person feels that God is literally his true life, his relationship with God is not with a separate, distant God but rather with a God who is deeply involved in his life, responsible for the inner source of his vitality. This is a glimpse of redemption, a taste of the ultimate redemption, which a person can experience during prayer.

וְהוּא גַּם כֵּן בִּבְחִינַת הֶיסַּח דַּעַת הָאָדָם. כִּי בְּחִינָה זוֹ הִיא לְמַעְלָה מִדַּעַת הָאָדָם וְהִתְבּוֹנְנוּתוֹ בִּגְדוּלַּת ה'.

This too is a suspension of a person's faculty of knowledge, for this state transcends a person's knowledge and his contemplation of God's greatness. There is a level in the service of prayer and mindful contemplation in which one can cultivate love and fear that comes from conscious awareness. But here the author of the Tanya refers to a loftier level in which the emotional connection comes from beyond one's conscious intellect, beyond what a person can know and contemplate, a level that is essentially a leap beyond consciousness, a state commensurate with that of the ultimate redemption in messianic times. At this moment, a person stops thinking even about his relationship with God, because he becomes immersed in a state induced by the innermost point of his heart that transcends the cognitive realm. This entails a "suspension of knowledge" since the knowledge, the cognitive awareness, is surpassed to allow for a spiritual awareness that does not stem from any cognitive framework. It is the transcendence of all intellectual structures, of all barriers that separate between the innermost point of one's heart and God. At that moment, the seamless bond between the person and God is unearthed.

רַק הִיא בְּחִינַת מַתָּנָה נְתוּנָה מֵאֵת ה׳ מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם

Rather, it is a gift from Heaven granted by God When a person invests effort into his prayer, he can tap into internal wellsprings of love and fear of God simply through contemplating with "the exertion of the soul and the exertion of the flesh," by concentrating all one's thoughts and attention to the exclusion of everything else. But the revelation of the inner dimension of the heart cannot be earned through effort, because it is a gift. A person cannot claim a gift like he demands payment for work. Conversely, a gift does not depend on the work a person does. One does his job and earns his payment, and occasionally, irrespective of what he knows or understands, he gets an hour or a moment, of raw, unfiltered truth that God is literally his very life, that actually there is no other besides Him. At that moment, he experiences redemption.

מֵהֶאָרַת בְּחִינַת פָּנִים הָעֶלְיוֹנִים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: ״יָאֵר ה׳ פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ״ (במדבר ו, כה),

from the illumination of the divine countenance, as it is written, "The Lord shall shine His countenance toward you" (Num. 6:25), When God suddenly turns to look at you and smiles, that is the gift of God's shining countenance. The revelation of the inner dimension of a person's heart depends on this revelation of the supernal countenance. In prayer, a person works toward encountering this innermost dimension within. He prepares himself to experience the depths of his being, and when God shines His countenance on him, then for that moment the innermost point of his heart awakens and manifests.

וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב(דברים ל, ו).

and as it is written, "The Lord your God will remove the obstruction from your heart…" (Deut. 30:6). In the time of the future redemption, it will be God Himself who will remove the obstructions from our hearts because of the subtlety and depth that this entails. The same is true during the "temporal life" that is prayer. A person alone is incapable of achieving the extremely lofty experience of uncovering the innermost point of his heart, irrespective of how hard he works for it, yearns for it, and contemplates it. It is only God alone who can reveal that point and grant a person the possibility of truly connecting to it.

אַךְ מוּדַעַת זֹאת כִּי ‘אִתְעָרוּתָא דִּלְעֵילָּא׳ הִיא בְּ׳אִתְעָרוּתָא דִּלְתַתָּא׳ דַּוְקָא,

But it is known that an awakening from above occurs only through an awakening from below, Although this illumination is a gift from above, or as the Zohar calls it, an "awakening from above," meaning that it is not a reward or natural consequence of a person's level or effort, it does not happen without some connection to what is happening below. A person cannot expect to be privy to this illumination without any preparation on his own part. Even a gift is given, to some degree, in response to a person's level and nature.

בִּבְחִינַת הַעֲלָאַת ‘מַיִם נוּקְבִּין׳, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זַ״ל: ״אֵין טִפָּה יוֹרֶדֶת מִלְמַעְלָה כו׳״ (זהר חלק ג רמז, ב).

referred to as the rise of the feminine waters, as our Rabbis stated, "No drop of rain falls from above without two drops rising from below" (Zohar 3:247b). The kabbalists speak of raindrops that fall from above, referred to as "masculine waters," and the waters that ascend from the abyss below called "feminine waters." When drops of rain fall into the water below, little water droplets splash upward, as it were, to greet the raindrops that are falling from above. This imagery provided by the Zohar implies that the water from below reaches up, beckoning the waters from on high to descend. This is how the world works, in both the physical and spiritual dimensions: All giving and influence from above depends on an awakening and receptiveness from below. These words of the author of the Tanya appear in many other mystical sources, that "an awakening from above is initiated through an awakening from below." A person can engender an awakening from below through his actions and receptivity, which primes him and the world to merit a divine response from above.

וְלָכֵן צָרִיךְ הָאָדָם לַעֲשׂוֹת בְּעַצְמוֹ תְּחִלַּת מִילָה זוֹ, לְהָסִיר עָרְלַת הַלֵּב וּקְלִיפָּה הַגַּסָּה וְדַקָּה הַמַּלְבִּישׁוֹת וּמְכַסּוֹת עַל בְּחִינַת נְקוּדַּת פְּנִימִית הַלֵּב,

Therefore, a person must perform the first stage of this circumcision himself, removing the foreskin of the heart and the coarse and thin membranes that clothe and conceal the innermost point of the heart, Despite God's promise to collectively circumcise the hearts of the entire Jewish people in the future, and despite the possibility of meriting an awakening from above during prayer that effectively removes the thin foreskin from the inner dimension of the heart, he himself must do everything in his power to remove that covering himself.

שֶׁהִיא בְּחִינַת אַהֲבַת ה׳ בְּחִינַת ‘לְמַעַן חַיֶּיךָ׳.

which is the kind of love for God that is "for the sake of your life." There are various levels and ways in which a person may love God without the revelation of the innermost point of his heart. But when love of God is deep, to the extent that it is his very life, when a person feels that he has nothing else, that his whole life depends on it, this is the sign that he is connected to that innermost point of his heart. It may still be hidden, but it is certainly there.

שֶׁהִיא בַּגָּלוּת בְּתַאֲווֹת עוֹלָם הַזֶּה, שֶׁהֵם גַּם כֵּן בִּבְחִינַת ‘לְמַעַן חַיֶּיךָ׳ בְּ׳זֶה לְעוּמַּת זֶה׳, כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל.

That innermost point is in exile amid the desires of this world, which are also "for the sake your life" but in the impure spiritual counterpart to holiness, as stated above. Every person has this intense love that he feels is bound up with the very definition of his life, but it is not expressed as love of God since the innermost point in his heart is held captive to the desires of this world. Everyone has things that he feels is the whole point of his life, those things that he feels he absolutely cannot give up, that without them his whole sense of self will be negated. When that feeling expresses itself in the desires and matters of this world, it is not being invested in love of God. Every person, then, must extract the innermost point of his heart from other extraneous aspects of life and channel it into the true source of life on the side of holiness. This is the work of removing the foreskin from the heart, work that each person himself must do.

וְהַיְינוּ עַל יְדֵי נְתִינַת הַצְּדָקָה לַה' מִמָּמוֹנוֹ, שֶׁהוּא חַיּוּתוֹ,

This deep love for God may be revealed by giving charity to God from one's money, which is one's life, A person's money constitutes his life, in a certain sense, both in terms of his effort, the degree to which he invests his body and soul in earning money, and because money holds value through which a person can acquire every worldly thing he may desire. When he gives money to charity with pure intentions, he essentially gives up his life for God. Although it is actually the poor person who receives the money, charity is intrinsically an act of giving to God because giving charity implies that the giver does not expect any recompense from anyone. This is what it means to give to God, donating to holiness, pledging one's money to that which is separate and distinct from all worldly matters and his own ego.

וּבִפְרָט מִי שֶׁמְּזוֹנוֹתָיו מְצוּמְצָמִים, וּדְחִיקָא לֵיהּ שַׁעְתָּא טוּבָא שֶׁנּוֹתֵן מֵחַיָּיו מַמָּשׁ,

and particularly one whose income is limited and who is currently very hard pressed, for in that case one is giving of his very life, When money is not important to a person, when he gives what he does not need, it is also considered charity, since he could have bought other things with that money. But this constitutes charity that does not touch upon the innermost point of his life. When a person's economic situation is incredibly pressed, and he himself needs the money that he is giving to charity, not for extras but for basic necessities, then he is literally giving a piece of his very life.

וּבִפְרָטוּת אִם נֶהֱנֶה מִיְּגִיעַ כַּפָּיו,

and particularly if he is sustained by the toil of his hands, There is a difference between a person who toiled to earn his money and one who did not have to work so hard. Someone who inherited or received his money as a gift, or through financial assistance, will feel that that money is meant to be spent. A person who worked hard to earn his money, investing his blood, sweat, and tears into his work, will feel that it is his very life.

שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁלֹּא עָסַק בָּהֶם פְּעָמִים רַבּוֹת בִּבְחִינַת נְקוּדַּת פְּנִימִית הַלֵּב מֵעוּמְקָא דְּלִבָּא, כְּמִנְהַג הָעוֹלָם בְּעִסְקֵיהֶם בְּמַשָּׂא וּמַתָּן וּכְהַאי גַּוְונָא.

for it is impossible that such a person worked often with his hands without the innermost point of the heart, from the depths of the heart, as is the way of the world when people are occupied with business and such. When a person earns the money himself, he not only invests his time and energy but also his very soul. Whether he worked for it physically and emotionally, or enjoyed spiritual pleasure from the profit, he feels that his life depends on it. This money does not just hold exchange value. Every penny carries with it memories of the heartbreak and agony that accompanied the toil he invested to earn that penny. It is as if it took a piece of his soul. Therefore, when he gives that money to charity, he is literally giving his very life and soul.

וַהֲרֵי עַתָּה הַפַּעַם כְּשֶׁמְּפַזֵּר מִיְּגִיעוֹ וְנוֹתֵן לַה׳ בְּשִׂמְחָה וּבְטוּב לֵבָב,

Now, at this time, when he disburses the earnings of his labor and gives to God with joy and a glad heart, This is an even higher level: to give without feeling pain over his loss, over the obligation to give, but rather wholeheartedly, with the joy of being able to fulfill the mitzva.

הִנֵּה בָּזֶה פּוֹדֶה נַפְשׁוֹ מִשַּׁחַת.

he thereby redeems his soul from the abyss. The giving of charity to God is like giving ransom money to redeem one's soul from punishments such as Gehenna.

דְּהַיְינוּ בְּחִינַת נְקוּדַּת פְּנִימִית לְבָבוֹ, שֶׁהָיְתָה בִּבְחִינַת גָּלוּת וְשִׁבְיָה בְּתוֹךְ הַקְּלִיפָּה גַּסָּה אוֹ דַּקָּה,

This means he redeems the innermost point of his heart, which was in a state of exile and captivity within the coarse or thin membrane, In a deeper sense, when a person gives of his very life, it does not only rectify the external aspects of his soul, its garments and faculties, but it also redeems the essential innermost point of his heart, of his quintessential being. Although the verse tells us that God will remove the foreskin of the heart, a person himself must make an effort to release his heart from kelippa. When a person gives something, money or otherwise, to God, he should, to the best of his ability, disconnect himself from that thing in which he invested his soul and life, that which was until now his very life. He must do whatever he can to redeem his soul.

כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: ״מִכָּל מִשְׁמָר נְצוֹר לִבֶּךָ״. ״מִשְׁמָר״ פֵּירוּשׁ בֵּית הָאֲסוּרִים,

as it is written, "Above all else, safeguard [mishmar ] your heart" (Prov. 4:23), where mishmar may connote a prison, Generally, this verse is understood as a warning to guard one's heart more than one guards anything else. But the author of the Tanya extrapolates this verse differently: A person needs to make sure that his heart does not become imprisoned. There are various types of prisons. There is the prison of the reality of this world, and there prisons built from the desires and yearnings of the animal soul, all of which hold a person's innermost point confined to jail, preventing it from feeling the essence of its divine life force.

וְעַתָּה נִפְדֶּה מֵהַחִיצוֹנִים בִּצְדָקָה זוֹ.

and now, the innermost point of the heart is redeemed from the external forces of impurity through the giving of this charity. When a person gives charity in this way, the inner point of his heart is saved from that which is superficial and secondary to holiness, which includes all the pursuits of this world in which that point of his heart had been held captive. Giving charity is therefore an act that releases one's innermost being from servitude to his ego, from his own selfish desires, and effectively extracts the heart's innermost point from being bound to the transitory affairs of this world. Generally, the reality is that people's hearts are split, "half for God and half for you." The real question is not which half is bigger, but rather which part is more important. If the division is what is important is for me and what is unimportant I pledge to God, then one's heart is trapped in exile. When a person gives what is important to him to his Creator, even if he has not arrived at total redemption, he nevertheless breaks out of the prison.

וְזֶה גַּם כֵּן לְשׁוֹן פְּרִיעָה, עִנְיַן פְּרִיעַת חוֹב, שֶׁנִּתְחַיֵּיב וְנִשְׁתַּעְבֵּד לַחִיצוֹנִים שֶׁמָּשְׁלוּ בּוֹ עַל נְקוּדַּת פְּנִימִיּוּת לְבָבוֹ.

This is another meaning of the word peria : It connotes the repayment of a debt, since one had become beholden and enslaved to the external forces of impurity that ruled over him, over the innermost point of his heart. As explained above, there are two stages of circumcision: mila and peria. Both have significance in the context of the circumcision of the heart. The author of the Tanya explained one of the deeper meanings of the act of peria: removing the thin kelippa that covers the innermost point of the heart by giving charity. Here he offers another relevant interpretation of the word peria. Every person creates his own unique angels of destruction, which rule over the innermost point of his heart. A person who subjugated that innermost point to external things becomes indebted, so to speak, to those negative energies of concealment. When he gives charity, it is as if he has repaid his debt and is freed from their hold.

וְזֶהוּ ״וְשָׁבֶיהָ בִּצְדָקָה״ (ישעיה א, כז).

This is the meaning of the verse "Zion will be redeemed with justice, and its returnees with charity" (Isa. 1:27), quoted at the beginning of the letter. The basic interpretation of this verse is that in God's righteousness, He will redeem the returnees of Zion. But the author of the Tanya reads this verse as saying that God will redeem the captives through charity. Thus the word shaveha can mean both returnees and captives, and tzedaka connotes both righteousness and charity.

וְזֶהוּ ״צֶדֶק לְפָנָיו יְהַלֵּךְ״ (תהלים פה, יד). ״לְפָנָיו״ הוּא מִלְּשׁוֹן פְּנִימִיּוּת, וִ״יְהַלֵּךְ״ הוּא מִלְּשׁוֹן הוֹלָכָה.

This, then, is the meaning of "Justice will go before Him" (Ps. 85:14). The word lefanav , "before Him," is related to the word penimiyut , inner dimension, and yehaleḥ , "will go," is related to the word holakha , to lead, conveying that the mitzva of charity, leads the inner dimension of the heart to God. This answers the question posed at the beginning of the epistle: Why did the psalmist use the causative verb yehalekh instead of the simple verb form yelekh? The former is the causative of the verb, meaning to cause someone or something to go. Here the author of the Tanya concludes that the verse therefore can be read as saying that tzedaka, which can mean justice but in this interpretation connotes charity, draws the innermost dimension of one's heart to God.

וְאַחַר כָּךְ יָשִׂים לְדֶרֶךְ ה׳ פְּעָמָיו,

Then one may set his steps on the path of God, Until now the author of the Tanya focused on the first step: giving of that which represents one's very life. This leads to peria, uncovering the innermost point of the heart. This is the first step, akin to Naḥshon from the tribe of Judah jumping into the Red Sea before it split. It is impossible to begin walking if one does not first take the risk of falling. By trustingly jumping into unknown waters, one is privy to their splitting, to the breaking of the frameworks of prior obligations and routines. When a person finds himself in exile and he feels good and comfortable there, he will never leave if he does not take that leap, if he does not take the first step despite not knowing what will be. Only then "may he set his steps on the path of God." Only then is it possible to begin walking, not only with one's innermost point of his heart, but with all his soul's faculties as well. This does not mean that a person who gives charity, even in the most authentic way, will immediately experience the heavens opening and see divine visions. It could happen but may not. This letter highlights that without this deeply internal step, the heavens will certainly not open up. This relinquishing of what is truly important to a person's heart will open a door, and it is through this door that he can begin to "set his steps on the path of God."

כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: ״וְהָלַכְתָּ בִּדְרָכָיו״ (דברים כח, ט),

as it is written, "You shall walk in His ways" (Deut. 28:9), Attaining closeness to God is a path that a person must tread. There is no complacency when it comes to service of God. Even when on touches upon that deepest of places within, he must move on to the next stage: to walk in His ways.

״אַחֲרֵי ה׳ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם תֵּלֵכוּ״ (דברים יג, ה).

and "You shall follow the Lord your God" (Deut. 13:5). This path is not always lit up with the light of God's countenance. It can also be a path that takes a person aḥarei Hashem, literally, "behind God," by way of the desert, a way that God may not illuminate. One could be on this path for a day, a year, or an entire lifetime. This is a path that one treads even when he does not see a purpose in what he is doing, even when he does not see or hear anything from the other side, yet nevertheless he walks the path anyway.

בְּכָל מַעֲשֵׂה הַמִּצְוֹת וְתַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה כְּנֶגֶד כּוּלָּן,

This is accomplished with all acts of mitzva performance, and Torah study is equal to them all, The author of the Tanya here mentions a concept from the Mishna: that Torah study is the equivalent to the performance of all the commandments. A person merits to "follow the Lord your God" when he fulfills all the mitzvot he possibly can during his lifetime and when he studies Torah with every spare moment.

שֶׁכּוּלָּן עוֹלִין לַה׳ עַל יְדֵי פְּנִימִית הַלֵּב, בְּיֶתֶר שְׂאֵת וּמַעְלָה מַעְלָה מֵעֲלִיָּיתָן לַה׳ עַל יְדֵי חִיצוֹנִית הַלֵּב,

for the mitzvot and Torah study all ascend to God through the inner dimension of the heart with greater intensity and reach far higher than their ascent through the external dimension of the heart, As the author of the Tanya explained elsewhere, Torah study and mitzva performance without any accompanying fear and love of God do not ascend at all. The Torah study is still Torah study, the mitzva is still a mitzva, but if they are not performed with heartfelt intention, out of love and fear of God, they do not have as much of an impact. They remain in our world right where they were performed. Furthermore, when a person walks on the path of God by the force of the love that stems from the innermost point of the heart, his mitzvot and Torah study ascend exponentially higher than if they were spurred by love that stems from the external aspects of the heart.

הַנּוֹלָד מֵהַתְּבוּנָה וְהַדַּעַת לְבַדָּן, בְּלִי הֶאָרַת פָּנִים מִלְמַעְלָה, אֶלָּא בִּבְחִינַת הֶסְתֵּר פָּנִים,

which is engendered by understanding and knowledge alone without God's shining countenance from above but rather with a concealed countenance, The intent of a person who performs the mitzvot with the external dimension of his heart is certainly authentic, but it does not engender the direct sensation of God's countenance shining on him from above. Rather, it stems from a feeling born of one's cognitive perception and understanding, from a place where God's countenance is concealed from him. When the divine countenance shines on a person, when a person is privy to see the Divine clearly, there is no need for the faculties of understanding and knowledge, for contemplation and reflection. One simply sees, face-to-face. Only when there is a concealed countenance, when a person does not see, does he need to cultivate his perception through intellectual means, through analyses and attainment of knowledge, which does not have access to the inner dimension of the heart to awaken it. Cognitive awareness operates only in the external dimension. This is the deeper meaning of the verse "Justice [or charity] will go before Him." The type of intent that elevates all of one's Torah study and mitzva performance more than any intent that stems from the external dimension of the heart, is intent that comes from the innermost point of the heart through the giving of charity.

כִּי אֵין הַפָּנִים הָעֶלְיוֹנִים מְאִירִים לְמַטָּה אֶלָּא בְּאִתְעָרוּתָא דִּלְתַתָּא, בְּמַעֲשֵׂה הַצְּדָקָה,

for the supernal countenance does not shine below without an awakening from below through an act of charity, When a person gives charity with all his heart, he breaks the kelippa of his ego more than he could with any other mitzva and reveals his innermost point. In this way, he merits the illumination of the divine countenance from above.

הַנִּקְרָא שָׁלוֹם.

which is called peace. When a person who has money gives to someone who lacks, he equalizes their status, making peace between them. This is one reason that charity is called peace. On a deeper level, charity is called peace because it reveals the intrinsic connection between one who is ostensibly superior and one who is inferior, which negates the disparity between them. At their essence, they are the same, and one is no better than the other. The connection forged by the external dimension of the heart is, at most, a cease-fire, a temporary agreement and partnership of sorts, while the bond forged by the act of charity that awakens the internal dimension of the heart creates true peace.

וְזֶהוּ שֶׁכָּתוּב: "פָּדָה בְשָׁלוֹם נַפְשִׁי" (תהלים נה, יט) ‘נַפְשִׁי׳ דַּיְיקָא.

This is the meaning of the verse "He redeemed my soul unharmed" (Ps. 55:19), specifying nafshi , my soul. The author of the Tanya interprets this verse saying, "He redeemed my soul with peace," which refers to charity. The word for soul, nefesh, has various implications throughout the Torah. In a general sense, it refers to the soul as opposed to the body, where the soul is the inner dimension of a person. In that sense, one redeems, or reveals, the soul through the act of charity. But the word nefesh can also connote the ego, the self. Therefore, the verse implies that charity redeems the giver himself, not the recipient of the charity. One might assume that the verse is saying that when a person gives charity to a poor person, he redeems the poor man, yet the emphasis here is on the giver's soul, that he redeems the depths of his very own soul, the innermost point of his heart.

וְזֶהוּ גַּם כֵּן הַטַּעַם שֶׁנִּקְרָא הַצְּדָקָה שָׁלוֹם, לְפִי שֶׁנַּעֲשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם בֵּין יִשְׂרָאֵל לַאֲבִיהֶם שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם, כְּמַאֲמַר רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זַ״ל.

This is also the reason that charity is called peace: because through charity peace is made between the Jewish people and their Father in Heaven, as our Rabbis stated. The act of charity creates an overall peace. As the Sages point out, it creates peace not only between people down below, but also between the souls of Israel and God, since through the power of charity and the unleashing of the innermost point of the heart, the soul ascends from within the world to unite and connect with Him.

דְּהַיְינוּ עַל יְדֵי פִּדְיוֹן נַפְשׁוֹתֵיהֶן, הֵם חֵלֶק ה׳ מַמָּשׁ, מִידֵי הַחִיצוֹנִים,

This is accomplished through the redemption of their souls, which are literally a portion of God, from the external forces of impurity, A person redeems himself from the captivity and subjugation of evil through taking something that is precious to him and giving it to God. At that moment, the soul, which was previously captive and subjugated to other forces, deeply and essentially connects to God.

וּבִפְרָט צִדְקַת אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל,

particularly through charity given for the Land of Israel, The particular charity on which this letter was focused was charity for the community in the Land of Israel. More specifically, charity was meant for the hasidic settlement led by Rabbi Menaḥem Mendel of Vitebsk, which the author of the Tanya hoped to fund and strengthen.

שֶׁהִיא צִדְקַת ה׳ מַמָּשׁ. כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: ״תָּמִיד עֵינֵי ה׳ אֱלֹקֶיךָ בָּהּ״ (דברים יא, יב); ״וְהָיוּ עֵינַי וְלִבִּי שָׁם כָּל הַיָּמִים״ (מלכים א ט, ג).

which is literally God's charity, as it is written regarding the Land of Israel, "Always the eyes of the Lord your God are upon it" (Deut. 11:12), and "My eyes and My heart will be there always" (I Kings 9:3). The Land of Israel is special to God in the sense that His essence, represented by His eyes and heart, so to speak, are invested there, in contrast to the other lands, which receive their blessings from the more external aspect of God. This means that charity given to the poor people of the Land of Israel is considered "God's charity."

וְהִיא שֶׁעָמְדָה לָנוּ לִפְדּוֹת חַיֵּי נַפְשֵׁנוּ מֵעֲצַת הַחוֹשְׁבִים לִדְחוֹת פְּעָמֵינוּ,

This is what has stood by us to redeem the life of our souls from the schemes of those who wish to repel our steps, This statement connects the concepts discussed in the letter to events that were happening in those days: the opposition to Hasidism and the slander and incarceration of the author of the Tanya. The author is saying here that the merit of giving charity to the Land of Israel helped them in their struggle to establish the path of Hasidism as well and to redeem the inner dimension of Judaism that Hasidism had unearthed.

וְתַעֲמוֹד לָנוּ לָעַד,

and it will stand by us forever, to infuse our souls with the true life that stems from the infinite source of life so that we may be enlightened with the light of life that God will shine on us from His countenance, Sela . Amen, may this be His will. The author of the Tanya concludes the letter in the same way he started: with poetic words interspersed with verses from Tanakh. The phrase "infuse our souls with the true life that stems from the [infinite] source of life" inspires the reader to strive for a life that is connected to the source, the Giver of the gift of life, which is the only true life, as opposed to living a life in tandem with all kinds of pursuits that are not everlasting and are far from the source and therefore false. In light of this connection, a person merits living a life filled with God's shining countenance.