״זוֹרֵעַ צְדָקוֹת מַצְמִיחַ יְשׁוּעוֹת״ (ברכת ‘יוצר אור׳) הִנֵּה, מַה שֶּׁאוֹמֵר לְשׁוֹן זְרִיעָה בְּמִצְוַת הַצְּדָקָה וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בַּפָּסוּק: ״זִרְעוּ לָכֶם לִצְדָקָה כו׳״ (הושע י, יב),

In the Yotzer Or blessing recited before the morning Shema, we say, "He sows charity and brings forth salvation." The reason that the term "sowing" is used regarding the mitzva of charity, as it written, "Sow charity for yourselves…" (Hos. 10:12), The letter begins with a verse from the daily prayers, concerning which the author poses a question: Why is the term "sowing," which is related to planting, used in connection with the mitzva of charity? The same question can be posed regarding the verse from Hosea that he proceeds to quote.

יוּבַן עַל פִּי מַה שֶּׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (בבא בתרא י, א): רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר יָהֵיב פְּרוּטָה לְעָנִי וַהֲדַר מְצַלֵּי דִּכְתִיב, ״אֲנִי בְּצֶדֶק

can be understood based on the Rabbis' statement (Bava Batra 10a) "Rabbi Elazar would first give a coin to a poor person and only then would he pray. He said: As it is

אֶחֱזֶה פָנֶיךָ״ (תהלים יז, טו).

written,'I will behold Your face through charity' (Ps. 17:16)." To support his practice of giving charity before prayer, Rabbi Elazar quoted the verse "I will behold Your face through charity," interpreting the verse as saying, "When I give charity, then I will behold Your face." Charity is a step, a precondition, by which one can achieve prayer, which is essentially "beholding Your face," the revelation and shining of the countenance of God, before whom one stands in prayer. But this claim requires further elaboration. It would seem that the mitzvot of charity and prayer have no relevance to one another at all. Charity is the classic example of a mitzva performed between one person and another, whereas prayer is one of the clearest cases of an encounter between a person and God. Why, then, should it be necessary to perform the mitzva of charity before praying? What does prayer lack that is supplemented by charity?

פֵּירוּשׁ כִּי גִּילּוּי אֱלֹקוּתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ הַמִּתְגַּלָּה בְּמַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם וְכַוָּנָתוֹ בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ,

The explanation for this is that the divine revelation of God that is manifest in a person's thoughts and intentions during prayer, Prayer is a bond between us and God. We turn to Him so that He will turn to us, face-to-face, man to God. In this encounter, man anticipates a revelation from above. Prayer is not merely a declaration, nor is it only a request or a confession. Rather, prayer is a dialogue. It consists not only of what a person says to Heaven, but also what he receives from above in return. This response from Heaven does not always manifest clearly and explicitly (as in a prophecy or an open miracle), but there is some measure of illumination that is revealed to a person while he is praying.

כָּל חַד לְפוּם שִׁיעוּרָא דִּילֵיהּ,

each according to his own capacity, Although the words of the prayer book are the same for everyone, the intention behind the words and what is revealed to a person from within the words are not equal. No two people experience the exact same revelation. Everyone has his own aptitude for receiving the revelation. Prayer does not fall on people like rain, making everyone wet to the same degree. Rather, it is like a speech that is heard by many people, but each individual internalizes the contents in accordance with his own knowledge, understanding, and emotional disposition.

הוּא בְּתוֹרַת צְדָקָה, ״וְחֶסֶד ה׳ מֵעוֹלָם וְעַד עוֹלָם עַל יְרֵאָיו כו׳״ (תהלים קג, יז).

is granted by the charity of God, "the kindness of the Lord that forever comes to those who fear Him… (Ps. 103:17). The illumination that a person receives from God during prayer, this revelation, ascension, and elevation of the heart that he feels while praying, even if it is only slight, is an act of charity and kindness from God. The person is not entitled to it by right or as part of the natural mechanism of prayer, a kind of automatic outcome of the bare fact that a person prays. It is a kindness and an unconditional gift.

כְּלוֹמַר, שֶׁאוֹר ה׳, אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא, הַמֵּאִיר לְמַעְלָה בְּעוֹלָמוֹת עֶלְיוֹנִים בְּהֶאָרָה רַבָּה, בִּבְחִינַת גִּילּוּי רַב וְעָצוּם

In other words, the light of Ein Sof , blessed be He, that shines above in the higher worlds with a great illumination is such a great and powerful manifestation that the higher worlds Although God is everywhere equally, He does not reveal Himself everywhere to the same extent. This is the difference between the higher worlds and the lower worlds: In the lower worlds, there is a slight degree of revelation, whereas the upper worlds experience a greater and more powerful revelation of the Divine.

עַד שֶׁבֶּאֱמֶת הֵן בְּטֵלִין בִּמְצִיאוּת וּכְלֹא מַמָּשׁ חֲשִׁיבֵי קַמֵּיהּ וְנִכְלָלִין בְּאוֹרוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ.

are completely subsumed and literally considered nothingness before Him and are encompassed in God's light. Our world, in addition to its status as a material world, is a world of independent existence. It is a world whose material and spiritual existence views itself as an entity in and of itself and considers its existence as a separate reality. It does not sense the presence of the Divine, nor does it sense how dependent it is on God. In the higher worlds, by contrast, the divine revelation is so great that the reality of their existence is negated in the face of it. The higher worlds do not experience reality in opposition to God but as part of the divine light and not as its own entity at all. It can be said that the higher worlds are nothing more than combinations of lights, and therefore their reality appears ephemeral, mere shadows of a reality that actually does not exist, in contradistinction to our world, whose reality is so tangible to us.

וְהֵן הֵן הַהֵיכָלוֹת עִם הַמַּלְאָכִים וְהַנְּשָׁמוֹת שֶׁבָּהֶן הַמְבוֹאָרִים בַּזּוֹהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ (חלק ב רס–רסא) בִּשְׁמוֹתָם לִמְקוֹמוֹתָם בְסֵדֶר הַתְּפִלָּה שֶׁסִּדְּרוּ לָנוּ אַנְשֵׁי כְּנֶסֶת הַגְּדוֹלָה.

These higher worlds are the chambers, together with the angels and souls within them, that are described in the holy Zohar (2:260–61) by their names and places, as reflected in the order of the prayers arranged for us by the members of the Great Assembly. The higher, spiritual worlds are called chambers in kabbalistic terms, and the beings and entities that live within them are angels and souls. Kabbalistic terms are, at the end of the day, nothing more than metaphors and images. When we speak about a spiritual world, we are talking about a reality that is not like our material world, although it has certain parallels to it. We inevitably use words taken from our material existence, if only as illustrations that will enable us to have some grip on the concepts. In this sense, a chamber is a space that contains certain beings, both human and otherwise. In a spiritual world, these entities are also spiritual: angels and souls. As the author of the Tanya points out, the Zohar enumerates the names of the chambers and their position in the order of the overall structure of the chambers. The formulation and sections of the prayers, in the order arranged by the members of the Great Assembly, correspond to these chambers and the various levels of the higher worlds. In kabbalistic literature, there are also highly detailed descriptions of the realm to which each part of prayer belongs, to which world and which chamber. This reflects the purpose of prayer, which is to ascend from this world and climb to lofty levels, step by step, like a ladder set from the earth to Heaven. The order of prayer thus parallels the order of the worlds, and the movements between the various sections of prayer reflects the transitions from one world to the threshold of another.

הִנֵּה מִשָּׁם מֵאִיר הָאוֹר כִּי טוֹב לָעוֹלָם הַשָּׁפֵל הַזֶּה

It is from there that this light, which is good, shines in this lowly world, When a person passes through a certain chamber, literally and spiritually, he receives a certain degree of illumination. Ascending to a higher level grants him a greater degree of revelation. At that loftier level, he apprehends things at the higher level of revelation with the higher degree of illumination. This is one way of receiving divine revelation. Then there is a level, which the author of the Tanya is referring to here, where the illumination descends from a higher world to a lower world. Although one did not ascend to the higher level, the revelation comes to him from above like a gift and has an effect on him even in the lower world where he is found.

עַל יִרְאֵי ה' וְחוֹשְׁבֵי שְׁמוֹ הַחֲפֵצִים לְעָבְדוֹ בַּעֲבוֹדָה שֶׁבַּלֵּב זוֹ תְּפִלָּה,

on those who fear God and contemplate His name, who desire to serve Him with the service of the heart, which is prayer, This is an important observation: The divine illumination is granted to those who desire it, to those who are open to it. As the author of the Tanya mentioned, each person experiences revelation in accordance with his capacity to receive it, with how he looks at the spiritual world, his capability, and above all what he wants to see. This can be compared to people who are walking through the king's palace. Each individual will absorb what he expects to see. Some will admire the decorations. Others will be impressed with the etiquette of the ministers. Yet others will hope to get a glimpse of the king so that they can show their fear and love for him.

וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: "וַה' יַגִּיהַּ חָשְׁכִּי" (שמואל ב כב, כט).

as it is written, "And the Lord will illuminate my darkness" (II Sam. 22:29). The illumination that comes during prayer is a light that comes from above and shines into the darkness of that individual. Any darkness of which a person is not aware will not be illuminated for him; only the gloom that troubles him, that he longs to brighten, will be lit up. Another idea that can be learned from this verse – and this is its main message – is that this illumination does not shine of its own accord, merely because a person desires it. Rather, "the Lord will illuminate my darkness." It comes from God alone, through His will and kindness.

וְהִנֵּה יְרִידַת הֶאָרָה זוֹ לְמַטָּה, לָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, נִקְרֵאת בְּשֵׁם 'חֶסֶד ה'', הַמְכוּנֶּה בְּשֵׁם 'מַיִם', הַיּוֹרְדִים מִמָּקוֹם גָּבוֹהַּ לְמָקוֹם נָמוּךְ כו'.

The descent of this illumination below, to this world, is called God's kindness, referred to as water, which, like this illumination, flows from a high place to a low place, and so on. The illumination from a higher world that is revealed in a lower world is an expression of kindness. The definition of kindness is bringing down a flow of blessing from a high place to a lower one, of giving from above to below, from the rich man to the poor man, from those who have to those who do not. Other attributes do not operate in this manner. When one performs justice or pays respect to someone, his action does not come from above to below. That is why the classic symbol of kindness is water, which always flows from a high place to a lower one. The divine illumination from a higher world to a lower one is always a type of breach, a breaking through, into a different reality. If we were to receive the illumination as it exists in the higher world, we would also be in that higher world. In order for the recipient to receive the supernal illumination even though he is on a lower level, he requires the kindness of God, which descends, like water, from a high place to a lower one, in order to allow the light to flow from the higher world to the lower world.

וְהִנֵּה מוּדַעַת זֹאת שֶׁיֵּשׁ לְמַעְלָה גַּם כֵּן מִדַּת הַגְּבוּרָה וְהַצִּמְצוּם לְצַמְצֵם וּלְהַסְתִּיר אוֹרוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ לְבַל יִתְגַּלֶּה לַתַּחְתּוֹנִים.

It is known that there is also an attribute of Gevura and constriction above, constricting and concealing God's light, preventing it from being manifest in the lower worlds. Just as there is an attribute of Ḥesed above, the attribute of giving and the bestowal of blessings and illumination from above to below, from the abstract to the tangible, from the hidden to the visible, from those who have to those who do not, there is likewise an attribute of Gevura above. In a sense, Gevura is the opposite of Ḥesed. It is the attribute of convergence, a movement from the periphery to the center, which limits and hides the flow of the divine light. The starting point of the attribute of Gevura, which is the attribute of judgment, is boundaries: Boundaries and restrictions exist between one world and another, and each of them are separate. When there are boundaries and limits, not only does the divine light not spill over outside the borders, but it confines itself to within itself. This state of convergence and seclusion is the main feature of the attribute of Gevura. The situation described here is when a person praying enunciates the letters, utters the words, and thinks the correct thoughts, achieving the status of one who is standing at the threshold of the higher worlds. The question is, what will the response of those worlds be? Will they treat him with kindness and offer their contents to him in a way that he can receive them (since they themselves are above and beyond man)? Will they allow him to peek and receive a glimpse of the light? Or will the threshold be characterized by Gevura: "What is your name? Who dares to approach?" The higher world can also see the distance that separates it from the person and perceive a person as someone who is unworthy and not entitled to receive anything. There are, then, two attributes above: the attribute of Ḥesed, which gives generously and openly, and the attribute of Gevura, which closes off and conceals. The question is, what determines whether the attribute of Ḥesed or the attribute of Gevura will be revealed?

אַךְ הַכֹּל תָּלוּי בְּאִתְעָרוּתָא דִּלְתַתָּא, שֶׁאִם הָאָדָם מִתְנַהֵג בַּחֲסִידוּת, לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ חַיִּים וָחֶסֶד כו׳ כָּךְ מְעוֹרֵר לְמַעְלָה,

But it all depends on the awakening from below. If a person behaves with kindness, bestowing life and kindness and so forth on others, he likewise awakens kindness above. The awakening engendered by our actions below activates a corresponding awakening and giving from above. This is one of the most fundamental laws of creation and the divine operation of the world. It is how the world is built and how relationships between God and man operate. In other words, the manner in which the divine attributes are manifest in the world with regard to a specific individual, as well as to the world as a whole, depends to a very large extent on his own behavior. When we create the proper structure below, the need and the desire, the illumination from above enters it. In that case, when one "behaves with kindness" by "bestowing life and kindness" on other people, he awakens a similar attribute above, and kindness flows down into the reality of our world.

כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה: בַּמִּדָּה שֶׁאָדָם מוֹדֵד בָּהּ מוֹדְדִין לוֹ (סוטה פרק א משנה ז).

as the Sages stated, "With the measure that a person measures, he is measured with it" (Mishna Sota 1:7). The attribute of Ḥesed from above is manifest below measure for measure. When one gives to the worthy and the unworthy alike, when he donates more than he is obligated to contribute to charity, he awakens the bestowal of Ḥesed from above to the same degree. On the other hand, one who is stingy with his possessions will be dealt with in a correspondingly strict manner. If before praying, one gives charity to a pauper who is standing at his door, he will merit receiving from the higher world when he himself passes its threshold. When a person acts according to the letter of the law, and he gives only what is due to those who deserve it, without feeling obligated to give more, he will be treated in the same fashion.

אֶלָּא דְּלִכְאוֹרָה זוֹ אֵינָהּ מִן הַמִּדָּה כִּי אִם לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ לוֹ חַיֵּי הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא לְבַד כְּנֶגֶד מַה שֶּׁהוּא מַשְׁפִּיעַ חַיֵּי עוֹלָם הַזֶּה,

But it would seem that this kindness from above is not of the same measure as the kindness displayed by the person below, but rather, it would seem that the same measure would be to bestow on him life in the World to Come alone, commensurate with his bestowing life on others in this world, We would expect that the concept of measure for measure should imply that the bestowal of kindness and flow from above would be of the same type that the person bestows. Since one gives life and kindness in this world, he should receive a similar reward in the World to Come, because generally the World to Come is the place where one is rewarded for one's service in this world. Although life in this world and life of the World to Come are not the same, they are both life. Granted, life in this world is physical whereas the life of the World to Come is spiritual, and its spiritual revelation is certainly greater than life in this world, it makes sense that if a person gives life to others below as much as he can, he should receive life above as much as it is possible to give him. A person gives a penny in this world, and he should receive the currency of the spiritual worlds in return. Since God's hand is larger and broader, His penny will be larger as well, but in the bigger picture a person should receive his reward in spiritual currency, which is eternal life.

אֲבָל לֹא לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ לוֹ חַיֵּי הֶאָרַת אוֹר ה' [נוּסָּח אַחֵר: אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא] מַמָּשׁ, שֶׁיָּאִיר וְיַגִּיהַּ חָשְׁכּוֹ בַּעֲבוֹדָה שֶׁבַּלֵּב זוֹ תְּפִלָּה,

but not to bestow on him the life that stems from the illumination of the light of God [alternatively: of Ein Sof , blessed be He] itself for it to shine and illuminate his personal darkness when he engages in the service of the heart, which is prayer. The illumination one receives through prayer is the actual light of God, the light of Ein Sof, which cannot be compared to the illumination of the restricted light that shines in the world, whether in this world or in the World to Come.

שֶׁהִיא בְּחִינַת וּמַדְרֵגַת ‘תְּשׁוּבָה עִילָּאָה׳ כַּנּוֹדָע,

This illumination constitutes the higher level of repentance, as is known, It is explained elsewhere that there are two levels of repentance: the lower level and the higher level. In contrast to the lower level of repentance, which is associated with a sin that one has committed and one's escape from its clutches, the higher level of repentance is not necessarily linked to any particular transgression. Rather, it involves a return to the primary source, the restoration of the soul, the divine spark within him, to the source and root of existence, to God Himself. This level of repentance transcends life in the World to Come. The illumination a person merits through prayer is the level of higher repentance. When one merits drawing the illumination from a higher world into his own world, he does not revert to being the same person he was before. As the verse states, "Taste and see that the Lord is good" (Ps. 34:9). Once one has tasted and seen "that the Lord is good," it is impossible for him to return to his previous state of existence. All he wants is to return to that state, to be once again in that place where he tasted and experienced the Divine. This is the higher level of repentance.

שֶׁהֲרֵי הִיא לְמַעְלָה מַעְלָה מִכָּל חַיֵּי עוֹלָם הַבָּא, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה: יָפָה שָׁעָה אַחַת בִּתְשׁוּבָה וּמַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים כו׳ וּכְמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר בַּאֲרִיכוּת, דְּעוֹלָם הַבָּא אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא זִיו וְהֶאָרָה וכו'.

which is above and beyond all the life of the world to Come, as the Rabbis stated, "One hour of repentance and good deeds in this world is more precious than an entire lifetime in the World to Come" (Mishna Avot 4:17), and as explained elsewhere at length (Likkutei Amarim, chap. 4), the World to Come is only a ray and glimmer and so forth of the Divine Presence. A famous description of the World to Come is that "the righteous sit with their crowns upon their heads, enjoying the splendor of the Divine Presence" (Berakhot 17a). In the World to Come, there is only the splendor of the Divine Presence. Only the divine illumination that shines from the Divine Presence exists there, in contrast to the repentance and good deeds that are available in this world, where a person merits cleaving to the Divine Presence itself. One who cleaves to repentance and good deeds becomes attached to God Himself. Perhaps in this world one does not experience the same delight in God's light and splendor, but a person can achieve true attachment to the Divine, which goes above and beyond life in the World to Come. The question is, why does this person merit receiving such a reward, one that is not commensurate with the scope of what he gave?

אַךְ הָעִנְיָן הוּא עַל דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל: כְּמוֹ שֶׁזּוֹרְעִין זְרָעִים, אוֹ נוֹטְעִין גַּרְעִין, שֶׁהַשִּׁבּוֹלֶת הַצּוֹמַחַת מֵהַזֶּרַע וְהָאִילָן וּפֵירוֹתָיו מֵהַגַּרְעִין אֵינָן מַהוּתָן וְעַצְמוּתָן שֶׁל הַזֶּרַע וְהַגַּרְעִין כְּלָל,

The matter can be explained by way of an analogy: It is like sowing seeds or planting a kernel. The stalk that sprouts from the seed and the tree with its fruits that sprout from the kernel are not of the essence and being of the seed or kernel at all, The author of the Tanya now returns to his starting point, which was his question regarding the meaning of the expression "sows charity" in our morning prayers and the juxtaposition of the terms "sowing" and "charity" in the verse from Hosea. The act of sowing follows an apparently simple pattern: One places a kernel of wheat in the ground and receives a whole stalk; one inserts an apple seed and an apple tree grows. But this is not a straightforward process, in which the seed itself grows and swells until it becomes a tree. Between the kernel and the tree there is murky phase in which the kernel completely disappears and the tree sprouts, as it were, from nothing.

כִּי מַהוּתָם וְעַצְמוּתָם כָּלֶה וְנִרְקָב בָּאָרֶץ, וְכֹחַ הַצּוֹמֵחַ שֶׁבָּאָרֶץ עַצְמָהּ [נוּסָּח אַחֵר: עַצְמוֹ] הוּא הַמּוֹצִיא

for their essence and being have been completely consumed and decayed within the soil of the

וְהַמְגַדֵּל הַשִּׁבּוֹלֶת וְהָאִילָן וּפֵירוֹתָיו.

earth. Rather, it is the vegetative power that is in the earth itself that brings forth and brings about the growth of the stalk and the tree with its fruits. If one removes a seed from the soil before it germinates, not only does the seed itself not grow, it undergoes a process of decay until it completely wastes away, until there is practically nothing left of the seed that previously existed. If that is the case, what grows is not from the seed, which is already dead and rotting, but from the earth itself, from the combination of the materials found in the earth, as well as the sun, light, and air. A massive power is manifest from all these, and this is called the "vegetative power."

רַק שֶׁאֵינוֹ מוֹצִיא וּמְגַלֶּה כֹּחוֹ לַחוּץ, מֵהַכֹּחַ אֶל הַפּוֹעַל, כִּי אִם עַל יְדֵי הַזֶּרַע וְהַגַּרְעִין שֶׁנִּרְקָבִין בָּאָרֶץ וְכָלֶה כָּל כֹּחָם בְּכֹחַ הַצּוֹמֵחַ שֶׁבָּאָרֶץ, וְנִתְאַחֲדוּ וְהָיוּ לַאֲחָדִים.

However, the earth does not outwardly bring forth and manifest its vegetative power to actualize its potential except through the seed and kernel that decay in the earth and whose energy is consumed within the earth's vegetative power, uniting them as one. Although the materials that comprise a tree are always present, and the vegetative power exists in all plants, the earth does not sprout by itself but "through the seed and kernel." Although the kernel itself rots in the ground, it leaves something behind, not merely a genetic code but the power, desire, and interest to form and grow in a certain fashion, through which an entire fruit tree rises and comes into existence. The stage of decay, of the wasting away of the kernel, is a necessary one. The growth process of the kernel incorporates within it the destruction of its own being. Without this destruction, the kernel would remain in its original state and would be unable to grow. The same is true of every living entity: The growth process requires the breaking down and negation of the previous state to a certain degree. An entity that remains in its current form is barren. It will neither grow nor reproduce. But decay alone does not create the growth, because there can be decay without growth. In order for the kernel to grow, it has to go through another process, along with the decay. This process is the return of the kernel, in its decayed form, to the earth in such a manner that it unites with the earth's vegetative power. This is how the kernel transfers to the vegetative power the code, the direction and form, that it bears.

וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה מוֹצִיא ‘כֹּחַ הַצּוֹמֵחַ׳ אֶת כֹּחוֹ אֶל הַפּוֹעַל

In this way, the earth's vegetative power actualizes its potential The process of sowing is the manner by which the vegetative power, which exists in the soil only in potential form, is actualized. This power of growth does not activate or grow anything of its own accord, because it is not a specific force. What all the seeds in the world do is awaken, define, and direct the raw vegetative power, causing it to bring forth one plant or another. This can be compared to a large reservoir of fresh water, where one must dig a hole and a channel so that the water will flow from it to the place where it is needed.

וּמַשְׁפִּיעַ חַיּוּת לְגַדֵּל שִׁבּוֹלֶת כְּעֵין הַזֶּרַע, אֲבָל בְּרִיבּוּי הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד בְּשִׁבּוֹלֶת אַחַת, וְכֵן פֵּירוֹת הַרְבֵּה עַל אִילָן אֶחָד.

and gives forth vitality to grow a stalk that is related to the seed from which it grows, but with great abundance, with many grains in a single stalk, and likewise, many fruits grow on a single tree. When a person sows wheat, he does not receive another kernel in place of that seed but rather a whole grain that contains many kernels. Similarly, the seed of a fruit grows into a tree that yields many fruits. This abundant growth does not come from the power of the seed, which has rotted and no longer exists in and of itself, but from the vegetative power in the earth.

וְגַם מַהוּתָן וְעַצְמוּתָן שֶׁל הַפֵּירוֹת מְעוּלָּה בְּעִילּוּי רַב וְעָצוּם, לְמַעְלָה מַעְלָה מִמַּהוּתוֹ וְעַצְמוּתוֹ שֶׁל הַגַּרְעִין הַנָּטוּעַ, וְכֵן כְּהַאי גַּוְונָא בְּפֵירוֹת הָאָרֶץ הַגְּדֵלִים מִזֵּרְעוֹנִין כְּעֵין גַּרְעִינִין, כְּמוֹ קִשּׁוּאִים וּכְהַאי גַּוְונָא.

Also, the nature and essence of the fruit is of an immensely higher quality, above and beyond the nature and essence of the planted kernel from which it grew. The same applies to the produce of the ground that grows from kernel-like seeds, such as cucumbers and the like. Besides the growth and multiplicity of the product, the essence of the fruit itself is of a higher quality than the kernel from which it sprouted. The kernel does not simply grow into many kernels, but rather it produces fruit. This fruit has a taste, odor, and color that the kernel does not possess, which means that the fruit possesses a different nature, one that is superior to that of the kernel. A single kernel grows into a whole plant that sprouts, not only similar kernels, but primarily fruits.

וְהַכֹּל הוּא מִפְּנֵי שֶׁעִיקַּר וְשֹׁרֶשׁ חַיּוּת הַפֵּירוֹת נִשְׁפָּע מִכֹּחַ הַצּוֹמֵחַ שֶׁבָּאָרֶץ הַכּוֹלֵל חַיּוּת כָּל הַפֵּירוֹת וְהַגַּרְעִינִין הַזְּרוּעִים בָּאָרֶץ אֵינָן אֶלָּא כְּעֵין ‘אִתְעָרוּתָא דִּלְתַתָּא׳,

All this is because the primary life force of the fruits issues forth from the earth's vegetative power, which encompasses the life force of all produce, and the kernels planted in the earth are like the awakening from below, It is no surprise that the kernel can grow far beyond its own size and essence. That is because the growth stems from the general vegetative power, which can sprout and produce fruit without limit. The sowing of the ground is an awakening from below, which like any such process does not create by itself, but merely serves as an opening and catalyst for the manifestation of entities that are immeasurably greater and more numerous.

הַנִּקְרֵאת בְּשֵׁם ‘הַעֲלָאַת מַיִין נוּקְבִין׳ בְּכִתְבֵי הָאֲרִיזָ״ל.

which is called "the ascension of the feminine waters" in the writings of the Arizal . This awakening from below, the process of a small action from below performed by man that releases far greater forces from above, is called "the ascension of the feminine waters" by the Arizal. The various terms are merely different ways of expressing the same concept: how a small action evokes a result that is not at all commensurate with the cause. A person invests a penny, and he receives eternity. There is no relation between the penny, or any number of pennies, and the nature of the ascent to the higher level of repentance, which is beyond all life in this world and the next and is the essence of contact with God. To understand this idea, the author of the Tanya used the metaphor of sowing, which he explained at length. It is an example of not only a cause and its direct result, but a cause that awakens forces that are immeasurably greater than itself.

וְכָכָה מַמָּשׁ עַל דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל, כָּל מַעֲשֵׂה הַצְּדָקָה שֶׁעוֹשִׂין יִשְׂרָאֵל עוֹלֶה לְמַעְלָה בִּבְחִינַת הַעֲלָאַת מַיִין נוּקְבִין לְשׁוֹרֶשׁ נִשְׁמוֹתֵיהֶן לְמַעְלָה,

So too, exactly so, figuratively speaking, all the acts of charity that the Jewish people perform rise above like the ascent of the feminine waters to the root of their souls above, After a lengthy analysis, the letter returns to the lesson that is to be gleaned from the metaphor. When a person gives charity, he is performing a spiritual deed that precisely parallels the physical act of sowing. He thereby causes the "feminine waters" to rise ever higher, all the way to the source of his soul, which is the source of the souls of all of Israel. This ascent is the sowing of the source of the souls of Israel in the supernal earth and supernal Malkhut above, which is the highest spiritual root of the earth and the level of Malkhut of below.

הַנִּקְרָא בְּשֵׁם 'כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל' וְ'אִימָּא תַּתָּאָה' בִּלְשׁוֹן הַזֹּהַר, וּ'שְׁכִינָה' בִּלְשׁוֹן הַגְּמָרָא,

which is called "congregation of Israel" and the "lower mother" in the Zohar 's terminology and the "Divine Presence" in the Talmud's terminology, The root of the souls on high is called the "congregation of Israel." This is not just an umbrella term for all the Jews in the world. It is also the essence of the source and root of the souls of Israel. It is also called the "lower mother" because structurally it corresponds to the "higher mother," which is the sefira of Bina. It is "mother" because it receives the divine vitality from the sefirot above it and gives birth to the whole complex of created worlds. "Divine Presence" refers to the light of God that resides in all the worlds and is enclothed in them to sustain them, initially by being drawn down and enclothed within the souls of Israel. All these appellations are connected, and they express a single essence that is called Malkhut in kabbalistic works. But since this is the essence that receives from everything above it while giving to all the created entities below it, it reflects a multitude of forms and likewise appears in a multitude of forms, appellations, and names. Malkhut is the great sea where all things converge and are stored before they are once again born from it.

הַכְּלוּלָה מִכָּל מִדּוֹתָיו שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, וּמְיוּחֶדֶת בָּהֶן בְּתַכְלִית,

which is comprised of all the attributes of the Holy One, blessed be He, and is utterly united with them, Malkhut is the receptacle of all the attributes. It receives all of them and encompasses all of them within itself. This is not merely a superficial unity, like a box that contains everything placed within it, but unity at its essence, where the essence of Malkhut incorporates all the sefirot in a single unity.

וְרֵאשִׁיתָן הִיא מִדַּת הַחֶסֶד.

the first of which is the attribute of Ḥesed. The first of all the attributes that are incorporated within Malkhut is Ḥesed, the attribute of giving and kindness itself. It is the force that lies within all the attributes that come after it, enabling them to become manifest and give to others.

וְעַל יְדֵי הַעֲלָאָה זוֹ מִתְעוֹרֵר חֶסֶד ה׳ מַמָּשׁ, שֶׁהוּא גִּילּוּי אוֹרוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ, לֵירֵד וּלְהָאִיר לְמַטָּה לְנִשְׁמוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּבְחִינַת גִּילּוּי רַב וְעָצוּם

Through this ascent, the actual Ḥesed of God is awakened, which constitutes the revelation of His light descending below and shining into the souls of Israel with a great and powerful manifestation The ascent is our giving of charity, which is an awakening from below that ascends and causes an awakening from above. This is the feminine waters that rise and cause the masculine waters to give from above. In terms of the metaphor with which the letter began, charity is the sowing and investing of supernal earth, the earth that is the attribute of Malkhut and the root of the person's soul that is at the root of all the souls of Israel, from which "the actual Ḥesed of God is aroused." As in the metaphor, when a person sows a seed, it grows something that is similar to itself. One does not sow peaches and get watermelons. Likewise, if a person sows charity and kindness, he will awaken a corresponding supernal kindness. The act of kindness performed below does no more than make space for the kindness of above, which is an immeasurably greater bounty than the kindness that man sows, like the seed that merely awakens the inestimable vegetative power in the earth to sprout a multitude of vegetation to which the seed that was sown cannot even be compared.

בִּשְׁעַת הַתְּפִלָּה עַל כָּל פָּנִים.

during the time of prayer at any rate. While the "time of prayer" refers to an auspicious time for prayer, a special time of openness and kindness, it refers mainly to the time when a person prays. The very act of saying the prayers with focus opens the doors from below. The time of prayer is thus the time when a person can receive the great light that was awakened through the act of charity that preceded his prayers.

כִּי אַף שֶׁלִּגְדוּלָּתוֹ אֵין חֵקֶר, עַד דְּכוּלָּא קַמֵּיהּ כְּלָא חֲשִׁיבֵי,

Although His greatness is unfathomable, to the extent that everything is considered nothingness before Him, Since God's greatness and kindness are too lofty and immense for us to reach and relate to, what significance does all this have for us? Can a relationship even be formed between us and divine kindness?

הֲרֵי ״בִּמְקוֹם שֶׁאַתָּה מוֹצֵא גְּדוּלָּתוֹ שָׁם אַתָּה מוֹצֵא עַנְוְתָנוּתוֹ״ (מגילה לא, א), כְּמַיִם שֶׁיּוֹרְדִין כו׳.

nevertheless, "wherever you find the greatness of the Holy One, blessed be He, you also find His humility" (Megilla 31a), like water that flows from a high place to a low place. The esoteric interpretation of this talmudic saying is that God's greatness is His attribute of kindness, which is like water that flows from a high place to a lower one. The essence of kindness is giving and bestowing from inside oneself in an outward direction, from above downward. The greater the flow, the further down it goes. This quality is inherent to the nature of kindness: It is for those who are small, not great, for receivers rather than givers, and it reaches down as low as it can go. Accordingly, in the place where the kindness – or greatness – of the Holy One, blessed be He, is revealed, right there, in that very same attribute, you will find His humility, which is His descent "to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the downtrodden" (Isa. 57:15). In truth, all of God's attributes express His humility. Since He Himself transcends all attributes, and His attributes are merely the way in which He relates to the worlds, brings them into being, directs them, and reveals Himself in them, His revelation through them is an expression of humility. He lowers Himself through those attributes, which are separate from His essence, in order for us to be able to relate to Him so that we can exist at all.

וְזֶהוּ שֶׁכָּתוּב: ״זָרַח בַּחֹשֶׁךְ אוֹר לַיְשָׁרִים חַנּוּן וְרַחוּם וְצַדִּיק״ (תהלים קיב, ד), דְּעַל יְדֵי שֶׁהָאָדָם חַנּוּן וְרַחוּם וְצַדִּיק צְדָקוֹת אָהֵב, גּוֹרֵם לְאוֹר ה׳ שֶׁיִּזְרַח לְנִשְׁמָתוֹ הַמְלוּבֶּשֶׁת בְּגוּפוֹ הָעוֹמֵד בַּחֹשֶׁךְ שֶׁהוּא ‘מַשְׁכָּא דְּחִוְיָא׳.

This is the meaning of the verse "Light dawns in darkness for the upright, for he is gracious and compassionate and righteous" (Ps. 112:4). By a person being gracious and compassionate, righteous and loving charity, he causes the light of God to shine into his soul, which is enclothed in his body that stands in darkness since it is the "skin of a serpent." By acting with compassion and performing charity and kindness in any manner that he can, a person "causes the light of God to shine into his soul." Just as he gives to those who do not have, he receives the light in a place where he does not have it, within the soul that resides in darkness, inside the body that hides the divine light. The Zohar calls the concealing body the "skin of a serpent." After Adam's sin, God stripped the serpent of its skin and fashioned it into tunics for Adam and Eve. Since then, the soul of man has been clothed in the skin of the serpent in terms of spiritual influence. The body was no longer a neutral material substance. Now it would operate and manifest as the garment of kelippa. It operates in such a manner that one sees and relates to the corporeal material, without direct awareness of the divine light and life force. Nevertheless, despite the veil of the dense body and the reality of a life of exile and stress that does not allow the divine light to penetrate the soul, "light dawns in darkness for the upright." When a person gives charity to the poor, he awakens the power of the Divine on high, illuminating the soul with the divine light.

וְזֶה נִקְרָא בְּשֵׁם ״יְשׁוּעָה״, כַּד אִתְהַפְּכָא חֲשׁוֹכָא לִנְהוֹרָא.

This revelation, when darkness is transformed into light, is called salvation. Salvation does not merely imply that something good occurred but that one is rescued from a situation of siege and distress, so that the darkness turns into light. The revelation of the divine light in the human soul is thus rightly called salvation by the very fact that the light of God is revealed within the person who is situated in the darkness of the body. This is not necessarily an external salvation of the body itself, but it is always an internal salvation, that of the human soul groping in its own darkness before a light suddenly shines on it.

וְזֶהוּ ״מַצְמִיחַ יְשׁוּעוֹת״, שֶׁיְּשׁוּעָה זוֹ צוֹמַחַת מִזְּרִיעַת הַצְּדָקָה, שֶׁזּוֹרְעִין בָּאָרֶץ הָעֶלְיוֹנָה,

This is the meaning of "He brings forth salvation," that this salvation sprouts from the sowing of charity, from the charity sowed in the supernal land, The end of the letter returns to its opening inquiry regarding the relationship between sowing and charity. The phrase "He brings forth salvation" follows "He sows charity" in the citations from the morning Shema quoted above. When one sows the earth, comparable material entities grow. When a grain of wheat is sown, wheat stalks sprout. But when one sows a penny of charity in the "supernal land," one does not receive the same penny several times over, but rather an illumination from above. Although charity is given in the form of a physical penny, the essence of charity itself does not belong to the physical world, to the earth below. There is no earthly calculation that can compensate for the charity, but rather it is a spiritual, divine account, which is the "supernal land." Moreover, the illumination that shines into the human soul and transforms the darkness into light is a form of salvation. Just as charity changes physicality into divine light, the salvation that sprouts from it is likewise a genuine divine light that penetrates one's being in this world. This illumination is called salvation because it is essentially a miracle that a person manages to see beyond the parameters of his mundane tools.

״אֶרֶץ חֵפֶץ״ הִיא הַשְּׁכִינָה וּכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁנִּקְרֵאת כֵּן עַל שֵׁם שֶׁמִּתְלַבֶּשֶׁת בַּתַּחְתּוֹנִים לְהַחֲיוֹתָם,

which is called a "desired land," which is the Divine Presence and the congregation of Israel, so called because it is clothed in the lower worlds to give them life, The supernal land is called a "desired land," the land that God desires, to which He turns. This is the essence of the Divine Presence, the power of the Divine that resides within all of reality as a whole and in its various details, sustaining it and giving it life. It is called the "supernal land" because it is the origin and purpose of all lands. Since God Himself desires it, as it were, when it is in its perfected and connected state, it is called the "desired land."

כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: "מַלְכוּתְךָ מַלְכוּת כָּל עוֹלָמִים" (תהלים קמה, יג).

as it is written, "Your kingship is an eternal kingship" (Ps. 145:13). God's kingship, which is the Divine Presence, is "an eternal kingship," literally "the kingship of all worlds." In other words, it sustains all the worlds, from the hidden, supernal worlds all the way down to this physical world. This is the special divine illumination that brings into existence and vivifies the separate reality, so to speak, of the worlds.

וּבִפְרָט מִן הַפְּרָט כְּשֶׁזּוֹרְעִין בְּאֶרֶץ הַקּוֹדֶשׁ הַתַּחְתּוֹנָה הַמְכֻוֶּונֶת כְּנֶגְדָּהּ מַמָּשׁ,

This applies most particularly when one sows charity in the Holy Land below, which is exactly aligned with the supernal land. Finally, the author of the Tanya turns his attention to the special nature of charity that is intended for those living in the Land of Israel. In addition to everything that has been discussed, one earns a special advantage when giving charity to those living in the Land of Israel. Although the Land of Israel is a physical land, it is also the Holy Land. It is the land that is precisely aligned with the "supernal land," the "earth" in Heaven as it exists in the higher realm, within the divine will itself, beyond its enclothing in the lower reality.

שֶׁהַזְּרִיעָה נִקְלֶטֶת תֵּיכֶף וּמִיָּד בָּאָרֶץ הָעֶלְיוֹנָה, בְּלִי שׁוּם מְנִיעָה וְעִיכּוּב בָּעוֹלָם

The sowing of charity for the Holy Land is absorbed immediately in the supernal land without any hindrance or delay in the world, Any charity that a person gives is sown in the supernal land, but this accomplishment is usually achieved in stages. Between the lands of the nations and the supernal land there is a fog, as well as obstacles and delays, so that the transition is not immediate, but rather is a process that takes time. By contrast, the Holy Land is exactly aligned with the supernal land, because one land parallels the other. This land is in a state of full resonance with the supernal land, with the Divine Presence above. An act of charity performed there is absorbed and its effect felt in the supernal land immediately, without delay.

מֵאַחַר שֶׁאֵין שׁוּם דָּבָר חוֹצֵץ וּמַפְסִיק כְּלָל בֵּין "אַרְצוֹת הַחַיִּים",

because nothing intervenes or separates at all between the lands of life, between the physical Holy Land and the supernal land, The expression "lands of life" is in the plural because it refers to two lands. There is the land of life in the perfect and pure sense, which the author of the Tanya refers to as the supernal land, the Divine Presence, and the congregation of Israel. It is called the land of life because life there is eternal. Corresponding to it is the land of life below, which is the physical Land of Israel. They are both termed the lands of life because they are interlinked, aligned with each other and open to one another in such a manner that nothing intervenes or separates between them.

כִּי ״זֶה שַׁעַר הַשָּׁמָיִם״ (בראשית כח, יז),

for the verse states regarding the Holy Land, "This is the gate of the heavens" (Gen. 28:17), After receiving the vision in Beit El, Jacob declared, "This is nothing other than the house of God, and this is the gate of the heavens" (Gen. 28:17). The phrase "this is the gate of the heavens" is the definition of the essence of the Land of Israel, since it is the gate and entrance to Heaven. Since it is located directly opposite Heaven and is open to it, anything done there affects the supernal land without any delay.

מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן בְּחוּץ לָאָרֶץ,

which is not the case outside the land. Outside the land, there is a barrier so that there is no direct correspondence between the earth below and the supernal land. Consequently, the charity performed there does not have an immediate effect on the supernal land, to awaken it to illuminate the one who gave charity at the time of prayer immediately with the divine light.

וְדַי לַמֵּבִין.

This is sufficient explanation for one who understands. There is no need to go into further detail, since this is not the place for that, and in general it is not the author of the Tanya's style to delve into issues involving the kelippot and obstacles, whether outside the land or in the Land of Israel.