וְהִנֵּה תַּכְלִית הַשְּׁלֵימוּת הַזֶּה שֶׁל יְמוֹת הַמָּשִׁיחַ וּתְחִיַּית הַמֵּתִים, שֶׁהוּא גִּילּוּי אוֹר אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה הַגַּשְׁמִי – תָּלוּי בְּמַעֲשֵׂינוּ וַעֲבוֹדָתֵנוּ

This ultimate perfection of the messianic era and the resurrection of the dead, which is the revelation of the light of Ein Sof , blessed be He, in this material world, depends on our actions and service The ultimate perfection of the messianic era and the resurrection of the dead, which is the incredible, paradoxical phenomenon of God's dwelling in the lower worlds, of the manifestation of the light of Ein Sof in this material world, depends on our deeds and our service.

כָּל זְמַן מֶשֶׁךְ הַגָּלוּת,

throughout the duration of the exile, Redemption is not an arbitrary, unilateral or unidirectional act. It is the outgrowth of a process, the accumulation of deeds and groundwork over generations of exile, which generate the possibility of this revelation. As in all fields, there is a correlation between the investment, the quantity and quality of effort and work, and the eventual outcome.

כִּי הַגּוֹרֵם שְׂכַר הַמִּצְוָה הִיא הַמִּצְוָה בְּעַצְמָהּ (אבות פרק ד משנה ב).

for the cause of the reward of a mitzva is the mitzva itself (Avot 4:2). The reward for performing a mitzva is not something independent that hinges tangentially upon its fulfillment. Rather, the mitzva itself generates the reward. The concept of reward and punishment is commonly perceived as a carrot-and-stick approach. But the idea presented here is that reward and punishment are the mitzvot and sins themselves. Mitzvot and sins are not callous, indifferent actions that by divine decree result in a distinct reward or punishment. The action itself intrinsically forms the structure that is its reward or punishment. The reward and punishment are part and parcel of the action and should be treated as an extension of the deed itself, not as an external component.

כִּי בַּעֲשִׂיָּיתָהּ מַמְשִׁיךְ הָאָדָם גִּילּוּי אוֹר אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא מִלְמַעְלָה לְמַטָּה, לְהִתְלַבֵּשׁ בְּגַשְׁמִיּוּת עוֹלָם הַזֶּה, בְּדָבָר שֶׁהָיָה תְּחִלָּה תַּחַת מֶמְשֶׁלֶת קְלִיפַּת נוֹגַהּ וּמְקַבֵּל חַיּוּתָהּ מִמֶּנָּה,

That is because when a person performs a mitzva in this world, he draws down the revelation of the light of Ein Sof , blessed be He, from above to below, so that it becomes enclothed in the materiality of this world, namely, in an object that was initially under the dominion of kelippat noga , from which the object had received its life force. The essence of each mitzva, particularly those that are action related, is that we take an object from its place in the realm of kelippat noga, the realm ranging from neutrality to consummate evil, and bind it to the realm of holiness. By performing a mitzva with such an object, it attains a holy rank, character, and trajectory.

שֶׁהֵם כָּל דְּבָרִים הַטְּהוֹרִים וּמוּתָּרִים שֶׁנַּעֲשֵׂית בָּהֶם הַמִּצְוָה מַעֲשִׂיִּית,

These refer to all the pure and permissible objects with which the act of the mitzva is performed, These items mentioned above – under the dominion of kelippat noga, and used in fulfillment of mitzvot – possess no intrinsic holiness, yet at the same time they are not held captive and trapped within the kelippa. As a result, they have the capacity to become receptacles for holiness when used in the performance of an action-related mitzva.

כְּגוֹן: קְלַף הַתְּפִילִּין, וּמְזוּזָה, וְסֵפֶר תּוֹרָה. וּכְמַאֲמַר רַבּוֹתֵינוּ ז"ל: לֹא הוּכְשַׁר לִמְלֶאכֶת שָׁמַיִם אֶלָּא טְהוֹרִים וּמוּתָּרִים בְּפִיךָ (שבת קח, א),

such as the parchment used for tefillin , a mezuza , and a Torah scroll, as our Rabbis state, "The only objects fit for the service of Heaven are those which are pure and permissible for consumption" (see Shabbat 108a), It is prohibited to use a horse's hide or pigskin in the manufacture of a Torah scroll. In order to utilize an object in the service of Heaven, that is, for a spiritual matter, and elevate it to the realm of holiness, it must be associated with that which is regarded as permissible and not with something forbidden. The item must be included in the realm of kelippat noga and not the domain of the impure kelippot (see chap. 8 above). The Hebrew word for "forbidden" is assur, which literally means "fettered," while the Hebrew for "permissible" is mutar, meaning "unfettered." Something forbidden is "bound" or "fettered" to the kelippot, from which they have no possibility of being released and elevated to holiness. But that which is fundamentally permissible, such as the hide of a kosher animal, is associated with kelippat noga and as such retains the possibility of being unbound and released from the clutches of kelippa. Even though the hide is not intrinsically holy, it has the potential to become so.

וְכֵן אֶתְרוֹג שֶׁאֵינוֹ עָרְלָה

as well as an etrog that is not prohibited on account of its being orla , One may fulfill the mitzva of taking the four species on Sukkot using an etrog (citron), provided that it is not an etrog that is orla (fruit growing on a tree during the first three years after it has been planted, which is forbidden to consume). If it were in fact orla, the mitzva may not be performed with it, since it is associated with the impure kelippot.

הַגָּהָה: (שֶׁהָעָרְלָה הִיא מִשָּׁלֹשׁ קְלִיפּוֹת הַטְּמֵאוֹת לְגַמְרֵי, שֶׁאֵין לָהֶם עֲלִיָּה לְעוֹלָם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בְּעֵץ חַיִּים, וְכֵן כָּל מִצְוָה הַבָּאָה בַּעֲבֵירָה חַס וְשָׁלוֹם),

Gloss: For orla is of the three utterly impure kelippot that can never ascend to the realm of holiness, as is written in Etz Ḥayyim . The same goes for any other mitzva performed through commission of a transgression, Heaven forbid. Halakha dictates that it is prohibited for one to derive any benefit from orla fruits, with no possibility of their ever being rendered permissible for consumption. It is explained in Etz Ḥayyim that orla produce, for example, is included among the three completely impure kelippot, the implication being that it can never be released from their clutches. The author of the Tanya adds that the inability of prohibited items to be released and elevated to the realm of holiness applies to any mitzva, not exclusively orla, performed through commission of a sin; the resultant mitzva is immaterial.

וּמָעוֹת הַצְּדָקָה שֶׁאֵינָן גֶּזֶל, וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶם.

or monies distributed as charity that were not obtained through theft, and other similar items. Just as in the case of food, there is also kosher money and non-kosher money. Regarding kosher money, that is, money acquired honestly, though not yet holy, one is nevertheless permitted to derive benefit from it, and so it may be used in the performance of mitzvot. By contrast, it is absolutely forbidden for one to derive benefit from stolen money. Thus, it cannot be used to perform a mitzva and cannot be elevated to the realm of holiness. In this sense, when the halakha rules something to be forbidden or permissible, it is in fact determining that item's essential character. Halakha assesses whether it can be rectified and elevated to a state of sanctity. This is not a legal determination, where the court decides whether someone has committed a particular act or not, or whether one is guilty or not. It is not a moral determination founded on an external construct of presumptions. Rather, it is an evaluation of an entity's intrinsic nature, the final determination of whether or not it can ascend to the realm of holiness.

וְעַכְשָׁיו שֶׁמְּקַיֵּים בָּהֶם מִצְוַת ה' וּרְצוֹנוֹ, הֲרֵי הַחַיּוּת שֶׁבָּהֶם עוֹלֶה וּמִתְבַּטֵּל וְנִכְלָל בְּאוֹר אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁהוּא רְצוֹנוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ הַמְלוּבָּשׁ בָּהֶם,

Now that one fulfills through them God's mitzva and will, the life force within them ascends and is nullified to and absorbed within the light of Ein Sof , blessed be He, which is God's will that is clothed in them, i.e., the mitzvot, When performing a mitzva using an object that is included in the realm of kelippat noga, (i.e., an object deemed permissible [mutar ]), one thereby releases the animating life force – the hidden holiness – within that object from the domain of kelippa, and elevates it to its root. Upon its reunion with its source, it becomes absorbed in the quintessence of holiness: the light of the blessed Ein Sof. Note the linguistic nuance employed here. The author of the Tanya writes that the life force within such objects ascends to its source. He does not, however, say that the object itself is elevated and is transformed into holiness. The physical money given as charity undergoes no change to become a holy item. What does undergo a transformation is the life force that inheres within the money, the "energy of holiness" that accumulates within it. Through this act of charity, the energy and life force contained within the money is now released and elevated to the realm of holiness. An etrog that we hold as part of the mitzva of taking the four species on Sukkot is an etrog like any other. It remains chemically and botanically unchanged after the mitzva is performed. But the life force within it becomes connected with and nullified to holiness, to the divine will that it generated, and which is now clothed within it.

מֵאַחַר שֶׁאֵין שָׁם בְּחִינַת הֶסְתֵּר פָּנִים כְּלָל לְהַסְתִּיר אוֹרוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ.

since in them there is no element of concealed countenance whatsoever to hide God's light. There is no concealment of countenance in the divine will clothed in the mitzvot, since the latter constitute God's very will in this physical realm as it is on high. Although a person is incapable of grasping and relating to the essence and innermost depths of the divine will within the physical world, he is nevertheless able to relate to the mitzva, which is the expression of the divine will within his reality, as is explained elsewhere. This manifestation of divine will, although encased in entirely physical objects and processes, is neither distorted nor concealed.

וְכֵן כֹּחַ נֶפֶשׁ הַחִיּוּנִית הַבַּהֲמִית שֶׁבְּאֶבְרֵי גּוּף הָאָדָם הַמְּקַיֵּים הַמִּצְוָה, הוּא מִתְלַבֵּשׁ גַּם כֵּן בַּעֲשִׂיָּה זוֹ וְעוֹלֶה מֵהַקְּלִיפָּה וְנִכְלָל בִּקְדוּשַּׁת הַמִּצְוָה, שֶׁהִיא רְצוֹנוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ, וּבָטֵל בְּאוֹר אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא.

Likewise, the energy of the vital-animal soul within the bodily limbs of the person fulfilling the mitzva is also enclothed within this act of the mitzva. It then ascends from the kelippa and becomes absorbed in the holiness of the mitzva, which is God's will, and is nullified within the light of Ein Sof , blessed be He. There are two elements in every act of a mitzva: the object with which the mitzva is performed, and the person performing the mitzva. There are even some mitzvot in which one plays both roles (see below). It was mentioned above that a physical object deriving from kelippat noga used in the performance of a mitzva (tefillin, etrog, etc.) is bound thereby to supreme holiness – the light of Ein Sof. Here the author of the Tanya adds that the body and vital soul of a Jew, both deriving from kelippat noga (see chap. 2), are connected to and absorbed within the light of Ein Sof. When a person performs a mitzva, his body, which executes the physical action of the mitzva, as well as the energy of his vital soul, which animates his body to execute this action, are bound to and clothed within that very action, which itself is the manifestation of God's will. At that moment, when the action of the mitzva is being performed, both the body and the vital soul transcend the kelippa, becoming deeply ensconced within the divine will, with the very source of divine light, to which they become utterly nullified.

וְגַם בְּמִצְוֹת תַּלְמוּד תּוֹרָה וּקְרִיאַת שְׁמַע וּתְפִלָּה וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶן, אַף שֶׁאֵינָן בַּעֲשִׂיָּה גַּשְׁמִית מַמָּשׁ שֶׁתַּחַת מֶמְשֶׁלֶת קְלִיפַּת נוֹגַהּ,

The same applies with regard to the mitzvot of Torah study, the recitation of Shema , prayer, and the like. Although they are not literally performed with a physical action which is under the dominion of kelippat noga , Torah study, the recitation of Shema, and prayer are mitzvot in thought and speech alone. The words of Torah that one speaks and studies are not "objects" of the mitzva that derive from the world of action, under the governance of kelippat noga. Rather, they possess an intrinsic holiness.

מִכָּל מָקוֹם, הָא קַיְימָא לָן דְּהִרְהוּר לָאו כְּדִבּוּר דָּמֵי וְאֵינוֹ יוֹצֵא יְדֵי חוֹבָתוֹ עַד שֶׁיּוֹצִיא בִּשְׂפָתָיו, וְקַיְימָא לָן דַּעֲקִימַת שְׂפָתָיו הָוֵי מַעֲשֶׂה.

nevertheless, we maintain in halakha that contemplation is not tantamount to actual speech, and one does not fulfill his duty with regard to these mitzvot until he utters the words with his lips. We also maintain that moving one's lips while speaking is considered an action, The two primary modes of fulfilling the mitzvot of Torah study and prayer are speech and thought. The halakha states that mere thought is not tantamount to speech, such that if, for example, one is capable of speaking words of Torah yet merely thinks of them in his mind, he has not fulfilled the mitzva of Torah study. Halakha also maintains that even the movement of one's lips is regarded as an action. Thus, even these thought-and speech-related mitzvot require a physical action – either being actually uttered, or at the very least, mouthed. It is thus clear that a person cannot fulfill a mitzva, even one which does not entail a concrete action –such as Torah study or prayer – without some degree of bodily movement. The author of the Tanya explains why this is so:

כִּי אִי אֶפְשָׁר לַנֶּפֶשׁ הָאֱלוֹקִית לְבַטֵּא בִּשְׂפָתַיִים וּפֶה וְלָשׁוֹן וְשִׁינַּיִים הַגַּשְׁמִיִּים כִּי אִם עַל יְדֵי נֶפֶשׁ הַחִיּוּנִית הַבַּהֲמִית הַמְּלוּבֶּשֶׁת בְּאֶבְרֵי הַגּוּף מַמָּשׁ.

because it is impossible for the divine soul to express itself with the physical lips, mouth, tongue, and teeth except by means of the vital-animal soul that is literally enclothed in the limbs of the body. As was stated previously, the divine soul bears no direct relationship with the physical body. They are connected only through the medium of the vital soul that is clothed in the body's physical limbs (and organs). Consequently, the divine soul itself cannot directly study Torah or pray, just as it is unable to directly fulfill action-related mitzvot, without the cooperation of the vital soul.

וְכָל מַה שֶּׁמְּדַבֵּר בְּכֹחַ גָּדוֹל יוֹתֵר, הוּא מַכְנִיס וּמַלְבִּישׁ יוֹתֵר כֹּחוֹת מִנֶּפֶשׁ הַחִיּוּנִית בְּדִיבּוּרִים אֵלּוּ.

The more force one puts into his speech, the more energy from the vital soul is introduced and enclothed within those words. The clearer and more forceful one makes one's words of Torah or prayer, the more he invests in efforts to do so, the more of his vital energy – spiritual and physical – is enclothed within that mitzva.

וְזֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: "כָּל עַצְמוֹתַי תֹּאמַרְנָה" וגו' (תהלים לה, י).

This is the meaning of the verse "All my bones shall declare: Lord, who is like You?" (Ps. 35:10). This verse speaks of one utilizing his entire being, the totality of his body and soul's energy, in this declaration of God's praise.

וְזֶה שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ ז"ל: אִם עֲרוּכָה בְּכָל רמ"ח אֵיבָרִים – מִשְׁתַּמֶּרֶת, וְאִם לָאו – אֵינָהּ מִשְׁתַּמֶּרֶת (עירובין נד, א).

This is related to what our Rabbis stated regarding the verse "Ordered in every sense, and protected" (II Sam. 23:5): "If the Torah is ordered in all your 248 limbs, it will be secure in your memory; and if not, it will not be secure." The author of the Tanya cites this passage (Eruvin 54a) in support of the theme he is developing. Within every person there exist body and soul energies. The more encompassing and profound one's connection to the holy words he utters, by exerting both types of energies, the more these words become a part of him, seared forever in his memory and secure within him. This teaching, stated specifically in the context of Torah study, is also pertinent to a bond one develops with any holy matter, be it Torah, prayer, or otherwise. The author of the Tanya addresses what it is about studying Torah specifically using one's corporeal body that renders it the sole factor in one's eternal retention of those subjects studied. What is the paramount significance of the Torah's being ordered in his 248 limbs, of one using his lips in its study, that secures it in his memory? The author of the Tanya proceeds to explain:

כִּי הַשִּׁכְחָה הִיא מִקְּלִיפַּת הַגּוּף וְנֶפֶשׁ הַחִיּוּנִית הַבַּהֲמִית, שֶׁהֵן מִקְּלִיפַּת נוֹגַהּ, הַנִּכְלֶלֶת לִפְעָמִים בִּקְדוּשָּׁה. וְהַיְינוּ כְּשֶׁמַּתִּישׁ כֹּחָן וּמַכְנִיס כָּל כֹּחָן בִּקְדוּשַּׁת הַתּוֹרָה אוֹ הַתְּפִלָּה.

This is because forgetfulness derives from the kelippa of the body and the vital-animal soul, which stem from kelippat noga , which is sometimes absorbed within holiness. This occurs when one weakens their power and directs all their energy into the holiness of Torah or prayer. The divine soul itself is not subject to forgetfulness. It is inextricably linked to the Torah in a very real and deeply powerful bond, and so it cannot forget. The ability to forget something is a flaw that is rooted in materiality and kelippa. When a person is attached to his materiality and the kelippa elements within him while studying a particular subject, it is possible that the material aspect will pay no heed to what he is studying, in which case he is liable to forget. But when a person directs the energy of his animal soul into the letters of Torah and prayer, he thereby repairs and nullifies the kelippa of the animal soul, automatically resulting in his ability to retain those words in his memory. In the section that follows, the author of the Tanya will describe how an action-related mitzva not only impacts the physical object used in the performance of that mitzva as well as the person performing it, but its positive reverberations are felt throughout all of existence.

זֹאת וְעוֹד אַחֶרֶת, שֶׁכֹּחַ נֶפֶשׁ הַחִיּוּנִית הַמִּתְלַבֶּשֶׁת בְּאוֹתִיּוֹת הַדִּבּוּר בְּתַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה אוֹ תְּפִלָּה וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶן אוֹ מִצְוֹת מַעֲשִׂיּוֹת, הֲרֵי כָּל גִּידּוּלוֹ וְחַיּוּתוֹ מֵהַדָּם, שֶׁהוּא מִקְּלִיפַּת נוֹגַהּ מַמָּשׁ, שֶׁהֵן כָּל אוֹכָלִין וּמַשְׁקִין שֶׁאָכַל וְשָׁתָה וְנַעֲשׂוּ דָּם,

In addition to this, there is yet another ramification of performing a mitzva: The energy of the vital soul, enclothed within the letters of speech spoken in Torah study or prayer, and the like, or while performing action-related mitzvot, grows and derives its life force from the blood in one's body, which literally stems from kelippat noga itself, that is, all the food one consumed and the drinks one drank that have become blood, The blood coursing through our veins, vitalizing and animating our bodies, is a product of kelippat noga – the latter comprised of the permissible foodstuffs and beverages belonging to the inanimate, plant, and animal worlds – that one ingests.

שֶׁהָיוּ תַּחַת מֶמְשַׁלְתָּהּ וְיָנְקוּ חַיּוּתָם מִמֶּנָּה, וְעַתָּה הִיא מִתְהַפֶּכֶת מֵרַע לְטוֹב וְנִכְלֶלֶת בִּקְדוּשָּׁה, עַל יְדֵי כֹּחַ נֶפֶשׁ הַחִיּוּנִית הַגָּדֵל מִמֶּנָּה,

that were previously under its, that is, the kelippat noga's, dominion and drew their life force from it. Kelippat noga is now transformed from evil to good and is absorbed within holiness. This is achieved by means of the energy of the vital soul that grows from it, The permissible food and drink that one ingests were initially under the "dominion of kelippat noga " (another way of expressing that which is kelippat noga itself). The energy derived from this food invigorates and strengthens the person's body (itself kelippat noga ). When this person utilizes the raw energy to perform a mitzva, study Torah, or pray, he transforms it into something holy. As such, it is no longer under the dominion of kelippat noga.

שֶׁנִּתְלַבֵּשׁ בְּאוֹתִיּוֹת אֵלּוּ אוֹ בַּעֲשִׂיָּה זוֹ, אֲשֶׁר הֵן הֵן פְּנִימִיּוּת רְצוֹנוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ, בְּלִי שׁוּם הֶסְתֵּר פָּנִים, וְחַיּוּתָן נִכְלָל גַּם כֵּן בְּאוֹר אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא שֶׁהוּא רְצוֹנוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ,

and which is now enclothed in these letters of Torah or prayer, or in this action used for a mitzva, which constitute the very innermost aspect of God's will, without any concealed countenance. Their life force is also absorbed within the light of Ein Sof , blessed be He, which is God's will, One's vital soul, the source of his physical energy, derives its strength from kelippat noga (that is, the permissible food one eats), which becomes one's blood circulating throughout his body. When a person uses his physical energy to study Torah, pray, or perform mitzvot, his energy becomes garbed in these words or mitzvot. Thus, even the food and drink that a person consumed and that fuel his physical energy become absorbed within the light of Ein Sof as well. As was mentioned above, unlike the veiled manifestation of the Divine in this world (referred to here as the "concealment of [God's] countenance"), the Torah, by contrast, constitutes the pristine, unfiltered expression of Godliness. Granted, the divine will at its core is vastly distant from the physical mitzva. Yet it must be emphasized that although this distance is a constriction, God's will is in no way distorted or veiled. The Torah as we have it does not reveal the totality of the divine wisdom and will, but that which is revealed is indeed God's very will, exactly so, without any concealment of countenance.

וּבְחַיּוּתָן נִכְלָל וְעוֹלֶה גַּם כֵּן כֹּחַ נֶפֶשׁ הַחִיּוּנִית.

and with their life force, the energy of the vital soul is also absorbed and ascends into the light of Ein Sof. The author of the Tanya clarifies the second of the twofold benefit of the physical performance of a mitzva. That is, in addition to the elevation of the physical object used to perform the mitzva, even the person himself – his body and vital soul – is elevated and absorbed into the light of Ein Sof. Moreover, when a person performs a mitzva, he thereby elevates the essential nature of each physical element and act – such as his eating, drinking, and other mundane activities – utilized in the execution of this mitzva. Take, for example, the act of giving some coins to charity. The effects of this seemingly simple action are far-reaching and powerful. Through this act, the giver effectuates not merely an elevation of the divine life force contained both within those coins and that particular act of giving. But also elevated is the aggregate life force of all people and objects involved in the process leading to these particular coins being given as charity.

וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה תַּעֲלֶה גַּם כֵּן כְּלָלוּת קְלִיפַּת נוֹגַהּ, שֶׁהִיא כְּלָלוּת הַחַיּוּת שֶׁל עוֹלָם הַזֶּה הַגַּשְׁמִי וְהַחוֹמְרִי.

As a result, the totality of kelippat noga , which constitutes the totality of the life force of this physical and material world, will ascend as well. A person's single, limited action effects only a minor change in the whole of reality. On his own, he is incapable of transforming every etrog in the world into one with which a mitzva is performed, nor does he have the ability to convert every strip of hide in existence into a parchment on which a Torah scroll is written. But the truth is that there is no need for him to do so. Everything in the world is interconnected, every element drawing others along with it. The ripple effects of each isolated action in this world are felt far beyond its epicenter, and so when a person alters even one particular detail in the world, he thereby affects everything of a similar nature. The totality of existence is elevated along with its particularity. Thus, by elevating the energy of his personal vital soul, being a veritable part of kelippat noga in its overarching totality, a person elevates the entirety of kelippat noga along with the reality of this physical, material world.

כַּאֲשֶׁר כָּל הַנְּשָׁמָה וְנֶפֶשׁ הָאֱלוֹקִית שֶׁבְּכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל, הַמִּתְחַלֶּקֶת בִּפְרָטוּת לְשִׁשִּׁים רִבּוֹא,

This will occur when the composite neshama and divine soul within the Jewish people, which is divided into 600,000 particular souls, At the root of all the Jewish people's souls, there is a level at which they are all in fact a single, unified soul, known as kenesset Yisrael, the congregation of Israel. This comprehensive soul, incorporating all the souls of the Jewish people, is divided into 600,000 individual souls. Although the census of Jews throughout history often yielded more than 600,000, this number is the root and foundational number comprising the Jewish people, defining and characterizing them. Any number less than this no longer constitutes the Jewish nation.

תְּקַיֵּים כָּל נֶפֶשׁ פְּרָטִית כָּל תרי"ג מִצְוֹת הַתּוֹרָה, שס"ה לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה, לְהַפְרִיד שס"ה גִּידִים שֶׁל דַּם נֶפֶשׁ הַחִיּוּנִית שֶׁבַּגּוּף, שֶׁלֹּא יִינְקוּ וִיקַבְּלוּ חַיּוּת בַּעֲבֵירָה זוֹ מֵאַחַת מִשָּׁלֹשׁ קְלִיפּוֹת הַטְּמֵאוֹת לְגַמְרֵי,

will fulfill, each particular soul, all of the 613 mitzvot of the Torah, namely, the 365 prohibitions, which serve to separate and thereby obstruct the 365 sinews of the blood of the vital soul that are in the body, so that they not obtain sustenance and receive their life force, by means of a transgression, from one of the three utterly impure kelippot , In general, there are four kelippot (literally, "shells" or "husks") that are spoken of in kabbalistic and hasidic writings: kelippat noga and the three wholly impure kelippot. The kelippot and their appellations are derived from a verse in Ezekiel (1:4) describing the prophet's vision of the divine glory: "I saw, and behold, a storm wind was coming from the north, a great cloud and fire igniting and an aura (noga ) surrounding it." God's glory is surrounded by four barriers (kelippot ). The more distant barriers are the three impure kelippot, alluded to respectively in the verse: "a storm wind," "a great cloud," and "fire igniting." The barrier closest to His glory is defined as "an aura (noga ) surrounding it," and is known to be the most translucent of the kelippot. Even the most impure and opaque of the kelippot must, by definition, bear some degree of meaning and purpose, namely, the spark of holiness and life force on account of which they can exist at all. The purpose of their existence is analogous, for example, to that of a fruit's outer peel (hence the name kelippa ), which does not exist solely for itself. With regard to kelippat noga, this spark is conspicuous and radiant, thus allowing for the elevation of this kelippa to the realm of holiness. By contrast, this spark is concealed and trapped within the impure kelippot, unable to radiate. Inaccessible to man, and thus unextractable, the three impure kelippot have no way of being elevated to holiness. They are therefore referred to as "impure," alluding to their inability to be rectified. We can describe these two realms of kelippot by employing two basic terms used in halakhic parlance: mutar and assur. In halakha, the term mutar, literally meaning "that which can be released," is employed to signify that which is permissible. This is in contrast to that which is forbidden, or assur, literally meaning "that which is bound or fettered." The realm of kelippat noga is the realm of that which is mutar. This refers to those elements of the world that can be "released," or elevated to holiness, by using them in the performance of a mitzva. The three impure kelippot, by contrast, are included in the realm of that which is assur, and comprise the elements of this world that are prohibited and "bound" to the kelippa. This latter realm of kelippa must be avoided, as it cannot at present be elevated to the realm of holiness.

שֶׁמֵּהֶן נִשְׁפָּעִים שס"ה לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְעַנְפֵיהֶן שֶׁהֵן מִדְּרַבָּנָן.

from which the 365 biblical prohibitions and their rabbinic offshoots receive their energy. The role of the Torah's 365 prohibitions is chiefly to prevent the soul from clinging to the three impure kelippot by creating a separation between the two. Essentially, the prohibitions tell us which objects or actions constitute the impure kelippot, which things cannot be elevated to holiness, and where a death trap with no means of escape is hidden. Avoiding transgressing biblical prohibitions, as well as adhering to rabbinically imposed protective guidelines, serves to maintain the borders separating man from the impure kelippot. Resisting violation of the prohibitions preserves those elements in the world that have already been rectified and elevated to the realm of holiness – or at the very least have the potential of being so – by preventing their becoming mingled with a reality that does not possess this redeeming quality. These prohibitions are intended to create a separatory infrastructure, the purpose of which is to clearly demarcate between that which is and that which is not capable of being rectified and elevated, allowing for the actual implementation of that holy process when God deems it the appropriate time.

וְשׁוּב לֹא תּוּכַל נֶפֶשׁ הַחִיּוּנִית לַעֲלוֹת אֶל ה', אִם נִטְמְאָה בְּטוּמְאַת הַשָּׁלֹשׁ קְלִיפּוֹת הַטְּמֵאוֹת, שֶׁאֵין לָהֶן עֲלִיָּה לְעוֹלָם כִּי אִם בִּיטּוּל וְהַעֲבָרָה לְגַמְרֵי, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: "וְאֶת רוּחַ הַטּוּמְאָה אַעֲבִיר מִן הָאָרֶץ" (זכריה יג, ב).

The vital soul would no longer be able to ascend to God were it defiled with the impurity of the three impure kelippot , for they can never be elevated, but must be utterly nullified and banished from the world, as it is written: "I also will remove…the spirit of impurity from the land" (Zech. 13:2). Indeed, the Torah's prohibitions and rabbinical decrees maintain the barrier between man and the impure kelippot, both isolating the kelippot and protecting man. Yet should one breach this barrier by violating one of the 365 prohibitions, thereby contaminating his vital soul with the impurity of the three impure kelippot, his soul will be forever tainted and unable to ascend to God, that is, to holiness. Unlike kelippat noga, the impure kelippot are not subject to internal rectification and can never be converted to good. They are regarded as rectified only when destroyed. One must completely avoid them, making certain to sever them from their life source by not violating any of the Torah's prohibitions and not even giving them any thought. It is thus clear that the true weapon against the impure kelippot is specifically to refrain from transgressing the Torah's prohibitions. Whereas kelippat noga can be rectified by being utilized in the fulfillment of a positive mitzva (as is noted at the beginning of the chapter regarding etrog and orla ), no such possibility exists with the impure kelippot. Their rectification occurs only through one's lack of engagement with them, by not violating one of the 365 prohibitions. As we have said, this avoidance breaks the connection between the impure kelippot and the vital soul, consequently severing the former's ties to the divine holiness which previously sustained it. Once the kelippa is cut off from its life source, it gradually atrophies until it is utterly destroyed and vanishes from existence.

וְרמ"ח מִצְוֹת עֲשֵׂה, לְהַמְשִׁיךְ אוֹר אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמַטָּה, לְהַעֲלוֹת לוֹ וּלְקַשֵּׁר וּלְיַיחֵד בּוֹ כְּלָלוּת הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַחִיּוּנִית שֶׁבְּרמ"ח אֶבְרֵי הַגּוּף, בְּיִחוּד גָּמוּר לִהְיוֹת לַאֲחָדִים מַמָּשׁ. כְּמוֹ שֶׁעָלָה בִּרְצוֹנוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ לִהְיוֹת לוֹ דִּירָה בַּתַּחְתּוֹנִים, וְהֵם לוֹ לְמֶרְכָּבָה כְּמוֹ הָאָבוֹת.

Kelippat noga will be elevated when each Jewish soul also fulfills the 248 positive commandments, which serve to draw down the light of Ein Sof , blessed be He, below, to ascend to Him and bind and unite within Him the totality of the vital soul that is in the 248 organs of the body, in absolute unity, so that they literally become one with God, as it arose in His will to have an abode in the lower worlds, and so that they will be a chariot for Him, as were the patriarchs. The patriarchs – Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – constituted the "chariot" for the Divine (see Bereshit Rabba 47:6, 82:6, and chap. 34 above). As was previously stated (chap. 36), the purpose of creation was in order that God have an abode in the lower worlds. This is accomplished when human beings emulate the patriarchs and mold themselves into a "chariot," a complete vessel whose sole function is to provide a place for the "resting" of the Divine Presence. These people have converted their entire beings and souls into vessels through which Godliness can be manifest in this lowly world. Indeed, not every Jew can attain the level of the patriarchs and through his own efforts (i.e., by an awakening from below) become a chariot. But God did grant His people the Torah and mitzvot, equipping us with the necessary tools to help us elevate, bit by bit, the kelippat noga within ourselves and within the world. When one seriously engages in this transformative soul work on a consistent and regular basis, not merely as a sporadic pastime, he gradually transforms into a chariot for the Divine Presence. At least one phase in the fulfillment of the overall purpose of creation is achieved when each of us, to the best of our abilities, draws closer to this level of a chariot for the Divine Presence.

וּמֵאַחַר שֶׁכְּלָלוּת נֶפֶשׁ הַחִיּוּנִית שֶׁבִּכְלָלוּת יִשְׂרָאֵל תִּהְיֶה מֶרְכָּבָה קְדוֹשָׁה לַה' – אֲזַי גַּם כְּלָלוּת הַחַיּוּת שֶׁל עוֹלָם הַזֶּה, שֶׁהִיא קְלִיפַּת נוֹגַהּ עַכְשָׁיו, תֵּצֵא אָז מִטּוּמְאָתָהּ וְחֶלְאָתָהּ וְתַעֲלֶה לִקְדוּשָּׁה, לִהְיוֹת מֶרְכָּבָה לַה' בְּהִתְגַּלּוּת כְּבוֹדוֹ. "וְרָאוּ כָל בָּשָׂר יַחְדָּיו" (ישעיה מ, ה), וְיוֹפִיעַ עֲלֵיהֶם בַּהֲדַר גְּאוֹן עוּזּוֹ, "וְיִמָּלֵא כְבוֹד ה' אֶת כָּל הָאָרֶץ" (במדבר יד, כא).

Once the totality of the vital soul of the community of Israel becomes a holy chariot for God, then the totality of the life force of this world, which at present constitutes kelippat noga , will also emerge from its state of impurity and filth and ascend to holiness to become a chariot for God upon the revelation of His glory, as it states, "All flesh will see together" (Isa. 40:5), and He will appear before them in the splendor of His great might, and "the entire earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord" (Num. 14:21). When the nation of Israel attains the level of being a chariot for the Divine Presence, the entire world will undergo a transformation. The patriarchs on their own were unable to effectuate this cosmic transformation because, despite their greatness, they were only individual people. The Jewish nation, by contrast, constitutes a totality representative of the entire world, and so the effects of a qualitative transformation within the Jewish people are felt by the rest of creation, generating a global change as well. In a certain sense, the Jewish people are the nucleus and heart of the world. Their transformation into a state of holiness reestablishes the cosmic coordinates. From that point forward, the entire world operates within a new framework, one in which all elements interrelate the way they were meant to, thus serving as a grand vessel for divine revelation.

וְיִשְׂרָאֵל יִרְאוּ עַיִן בְּעַיִן כִּבְמַתַּן תּוֹרָה, דִּכְתִיב: "אַתָּה הָרְאֵתָ לָדַעַת כִּי ה' הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים אֵין עוֹד מִלְּבַדּוֹ" (דברים ד, לה).

At that time, the Jewish people will have an absolutely clear perception of divine revelation, seeing it "eye to eye," as they had at the giving of the Torah, as it is written, "You have been shown in order to know that the Lord, He is God; there is no other besides Him" (Deut. 4:35). The phrase in the verse "You have been shown in order to know" does not refer to an intellectual understanding of the Divine, but rather to physical vision whereby one sees something "eye to eye" (see Isa. 52:8). In other words, the Jewish people will perceive that "the Lord, He is God," in the sense that they will literally see divine existence, apart from which there is nothing else. At Mount Sinai God forced this awareness on the Israelites by "overturning the mountain above them like a tub" – to borrow the talmudic expression (see Shabbat 88a). Through this act, antithetical to human nature and that of the world, God granted them a peek at the perfected state of existence as it will be in the World to Come. Yet this was but an ephemeral glimpse, as both they and the world were unprepared to withstand such a state of existence. The revelatory experience at Sinai did not leave the Israelites changed at their core, and so immediately following their "eye to eye" encounter with the Divine, they committed the sin of the golden calf. Thus, concerning the giving of the Torah, Moses told the Israelites, "You have been shown in order to know," that is, you, Israel, have been privy to this glimpse, but in the future, "all flesh will see."

וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה יִתְבַּלְּעוּ וְיִתְבַּטְּלוּ לְגַמְרֵי כָּל הַשָּׁלֹשׁ קְלִיפּוֹת הַטְּמֵאוֹת, כִּי יְנִיקָתָן וְחַיּוּתָן מֵהַקְּדוּשָּׁה עַכְשָׁיו הִיא עַל יְדֵי קְלִיפַּת נוֹגַהּ הַמְּמוּצַּעַת בֵּינֵיהֶן.

As a result of this, all three impure kelippot will be completely swallowed up, i.e., destroyed, and nullified from existence, for their present nourishment and life force from holiness is through kelippat noga , the intermediary between them. As was explained earlier, even the kelippot receive their sustenance from and are maintained by holiness. Like pure evil, the three impure kelippot are incapable of coming into direct contact with holiness, but instead require kelippat noga to act as an intermediary. It follows that when kelippat noga is converted to holiness, when it ceases to interface between holiness and impurity, the impure kelippot are left bereft of any connection to holiness. Lacking nourishment from holiness, the kelippot are automatically nullified and "swallowed up" into oblivion, completely disappearing from existence. Consummate evil cannot exist in a vacuum, and so it seeks to bind itself with a less potent evil, effectively creating an infrastructure allowing for its continued existence. The two evils, and however many more elements this growing structure may comprise, become interlinked to the extent that should just one link in the middle snap, the entire system crumbles. To illustrate this further, take the example of a thief. Without a clientele for his stolen goods, he has no reason to continue his criminal activities. The survival of the black market hinges upon the existence of gray areas, situations where money laundering can thrive. The moment those gray areas disappear, as soon as the passage from the underworld to the rest of society is sealed off, the world of organized crime ceases to exist.

וְנִמְצָא, כִּי כָּל תַּכְלִית שֶׁל יְמוֹת הַמָּשִׁיחַ וּתְחִיַּית הַמֵּתִים, שֶׁהוּא גִּילּוּי כְּבוֹדוֹ וֶאֱלֹקוּתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ וּלְהַעֲבִיר רוּחַ הַטּוּמְאָה מִן הָאָרֶץ, תָּלוּי בְּהַמְשָׁכַת אֱלֹקוּתוֹ וְאוֹר אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא לַנֶּפֶשׁ הַחִיּוּנִית שֶׁבִּכְלָלוּת יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּכָל רמ"ח אֵבָרֶיהָ עַל יְדֵי קִיּוּמָהּ כָּל רמ"ח מִצְוֹת עֲשֵׂה,

It follows that the entire purpose of the messianic era and resurrection of the dead, that is, the manifestation of His glory and the Divine, and the banishment of the spirit of impurity from the earth, is dependent upon the act of drawing down the Divine and the light of Ein Sof , blessed be He, into the vital soul, which is within the Jewish collective, into all its 248 limbs, by fulfilling all 248 positive mitzvot in the Torah, The purpose and fulfillment of the messianic era and the resurrection of the dead is twofold: It is for the true revelation of God's glory and the Divine in the world, and for the utter banishment of evil, both contingent upon our actions. This is accomplished when the Jewish people as a whole draws down the Godly light into its collective vital soul. That is, when each one of us fulfills the 248 positive mitzvot, our individual vital souls (regarded as one collective soul) become infused with this divine light. As explained below, this collective soul is powerful enough to elevate the entire world along with it.

וּלְהַעֲבִיר רוּחַ הַטּוּמְאָה מִמֶּנָּה בִּשְׁמִירָתָהּ כָּל שס"ה מִצְוֹת לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה, שֶׁלֹּא יִינְקוּ מִמֶּנָּה שס"ה גִּידֶיהָ.

as well as by banishing the spirit of impurity from it, that is, the vital soul, through the latter's observance of all 365 prohibitions, thereby preventing its 365 sinews from deriving any sustenance from kelippa. In addition to the vital soul's actively fulfilling the 248 positive mitzvot, thereby becoming suffused with God's light, the ultimate purpose of creation also depends upon the vital soul's refraining from violating any of 365 prohibitions, which would otherwise contaminate it with the spirit of impurity. The observance of the prohibitions likewise prevents the 365 sinews of kelippa from deriving sustenance from the vital soul.

כִּי כְּלָלוּת יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁהֵם שִׁשִּׁים רִבּוֹא נְשָׁמוֹת פְּרָטִיּוֹת, הֵם כְּלָלוּת הַחַיּוּת שֶׁל כְּלָלוּת הָעוֹלָם, כִּי בִּשְׁבִילָם נִבְרָא.

For the totality of the Jewish people, comprising 600,000 individual souls, constitutes the collective vitality that serves as the source of life for the entire world, which was created for them. In this passage, the author of the Tanya asserts that the Jewish people as a whole are the raison d'être and life force of the entire world, which was ultimately created for them, and by virtue of whom it remains in existence.

וְכָל פְּרָט מֵהֶם הוּא כּוֹלֵל וְשַׁיָּיךְ לוֹ הַחַיּוּת שֶׁל חֵלֶק אֶחָד מִשִּׁשִּׁים רִבּוֹא מִכְּלָלוּת הָעוֹלָם,

Each specific one of them contains and is connected to one part in 600,000 of the life force of the entire world, Being the ultimate cause for the creation of the world, the Jewish people bear a great responsibility toward existence as a whole. The point here is that this is not a vague, overarching degree of responsibility. Rather, each member of the Jewish nation has direct accountability for the specific part of the world related and connected to his specific soul.

הַתָּלוּי בְּנַפְשׁוֹ הַחִיּוּנִית לְהַעֲלוֹתוֹ לַה' בַּעֲלִיָּיתָהּ,

each part of which depends on his vital soul to elevate it to God through the vital soul's own ascent, As mentioned above, the vital soul derives from kelippat noga and interfaces with the physical world. When a person elevates his vital soul by using it to engage in holy pursuits, he simultaneously elevates with it that part of the world to which it is connected. The vital soul within each Jew is responsible for a corresponding part of the world. The relationship between a person and the part of the world he is accountable for can be described as organic in nature, akin to the disparate yet interconnected parts of the body. Though each limb and organ serves a different purpose, they are all necessary components in the overall anatomical structure, impacting and influencing each other. In our context, the person in which the vital soul lies functions as the critical component in this soul-world dynamic, unique in its sentience and thus in its responsibility. Understood in this manner, the person is just one part of a much larger entity, playing the role of the "heart" of a giant body. When he "stands up," the rest of his "body" follows suit. When one engages his vital soul in holy endeavors, he by default engages the part of the world associated with and connected to it.

דְּהַיְינוּ בַּמֶּה שֶׁמִּשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ מֵעוֹלָם הַזֶּה לְצוֹרֶךְ גּוּפוֹ וְנַפְשׁוֹ הַחִיּוּנִית לַעֲבוֹדַת ה', כְּגוֹן: אֲכִילָה וּשְׁתִיָּה וְדוֹמֵיהֶם וְדִירָה וְכָל כְּלֵי תַשְׁמִישָׁיו.

namely, by utilizing this physical world for the needs of his body and vital soul in the service of God, such as eating, drinking, and the like, his house and all his belongings. When a person makes use of the world, such as when he eats something, he assumes a great degree of responsibility. He is responsible not only for the food he ingests, but for the entire network involved in its preparation and his ultimate ability to enjoy it: the people, the equipment, the location, and even the heavens and earth. The whole of existence – inanimate entities, plant life, and the animal world – is perpetually busy preparing and arranging raw ("neutral") reality in a manner such that a critical decision must be made as to its ultimate purpose and trajectory, in any given context and juncture in time. At those crucial points stands the Jew, invested with the power to decide this object's fate: Will it be utilized for a holy purpose or not? One's choice not only affects that isolated object, but impacts the entire system that contributed to its current state of being. One can decide to use an object in a holy endeavor, thereby justifying and imparting significance to the existence of this complex network from its very inception, from the beginning of time. Alternatively, he can choose to use an object for an unholy purpose, polluting it with improper deeds or inappropriate thoughts. Either choice one makes, he not only decrees his own destiny and that of the piece of bread he consumes, but he also dictates the fate of an entire part of existence. His decision is a veritable decree, determining an object's "acquittal" or "guilt," success or failure. He determines whether the object will at long last be elevated to holiness, or whether it must remain in limbo as it has been since the beginning of its creation, until it crosses paths with the person who chooses to rectify and redeem it.

אֶלָּא שֶׁשִּׁשִּׁים רִבּוֹא נְשָׁמוֹת פְּרָטִיּוֹת אֵלּוּ הֵן שָׁרָשִׁים, וְכָל שֹׁרֶשׁ מִתְחַלֵּק לְשִׁשִּׁים רִבּוֹא נִיצוֹצוֹת, שֶׁכָּל נִיצוֹץ הוּא נְשָׁמָה אַחַת.

These 600,000 individual souls, however, are roots, each one dividing into 600,000 sparks, each spark constituting one soul. The Jewish people as a unit comprises 600,000 souls (each one correlating to one of the 600,000 parts composing the totality of the world). One may question this assertion based on the plain facts pointing to a greater number of Jews throughout the ages. Addressing this question, the author of the Tanya explains that this number represents not the total number of Jewish souls, but rather the number of root souls, each of which is splintered into an additional 600,000 derivative souls. The overwhelming majority of Jews in any given time or place do not possess a root soul, but rather a fragment, a spark of it.

וְכֵן בְּנֶפֶשׁ וְרוּחַ, בְּכָל עוֹלָם מֵאַרְבַּע עוֹלָמוֹת: אֲצִילוּת בְּרִיאָה יְצִירָה עֲשִׂיָּה.

The same goes for the nefesh and ruaḥ in each of the four worlds: Atzilut (Emanation), Beria (Creation), Yetzira (Formation), and Asiya (Action). A person's soul is composed of levels (nefesh, ruaḥ, neshama ), paralleling the four worlds: Atzilut, Beria, Yetzira, and Asiya. The level of neshama in one's soul is rooted in the world of Beria (and Atzilut ), ruaḥ in Yetzira, and nefesh in Asiya. Thus, the division of 600,000 root souls, along with their 600,000 offshoots, that exist on the level of neshama, exist on the levels of nefesh and ruaḥ as well.

וְכָל נִיצוֹץ לֹא יָרַד לָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה –

Each spark descended into this world only for the purpose stated below. Before continuing, the author of the Tanya makes a parenthetical remark:

אַף שֶׁהִיא יְרִידָה גְּדוֹלָה וּבְחִינַת גָּלוּת מַמָּשׁ, כִּי גַּם שֶׁיִּהְיֶה צַדִּיק גָּמוּר עוֹבֵד ה' בְּיִרְאָה וְאַהֲבָה רַבָּה בְּתַעֲנוּגִים, לֹא יַגִּיעַ לְמַעֲלוֹת דְּבֵיקוּתוֹ בַּה' בִּדְחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ בְּטֶרֶם יְרִידָתוֹ לָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה הַחוֹמְרִי, לֹא מִינָּהּ וְלֹא מִקְצָתָהּ, וְאֵין עֵרֶךְ וְדִמְיוֹן בֵּינֵיהֶם כְּלָל,

The soul descends to this world even though it entails a profound decline and banishment into a literal state of exile, for even were one to be a completely righteous individual, serving God with fear and a great love of delights, he would not be able to experience the quality of his attachment to God through fear and love that his soul had experienced prior to its descent into this material world, not even a miniscule amount of it. There is no comparison or similarity between them whatsoever, The descent of the soul – any soul – into this world is very profound indeed. It can be described as suffering a steep fall, a severe decline, from its former position in the supernal heights. The soul experiences this decline not only when placed specifically in the body of a sinner or a person lacking moral scruples, since every person in this world is endowed with free will and can potentially choose to lead a sinful lifestyle, tainting the divine soul within. The author of the Tanya adds here that the soul regards its descent into this world as a painful decline, even were the person housing it to be a complete tzaddik who had forged the most profound and intimate bond with God humanly possible. The soul regards its very descent into a physical body – irrespective of how spiritually refined it may be – as a spiritual "fall," for an embodied soul cannot experience even a modicum of its previous connection to the Divine prior to being forcibly placed within a body.

כַּנּוֹדַע לְכָל מַשְׂכִּיל, שֶׁהַגּוּף אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לִסְבּוֹל כו'.

as is known to every intelligent person that the body cannot bear, and so forth…. The reason the embodied soul is incapable of experiencing even a hint of its pre-descent attachment to God is that the body, by its very definition, cannot tolerate the levels of love and fear of God its newly endowed soul had attained prior to descending into it. Such spiritual levels are far too intense and abstract for the body to bear, and so prevent the soul from accessing any taste of that divine attachment. Having concluded his parenthetical remark, the author of the Tanya continues his explanation of the purpose of the soul's descent.

אֶלָּא יְרִידָתוֹ לָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, לְהִתְלַבֵּשׁ בַּגּוּף וְנֶפֶשׁ הַחִיּוּנִית, הוּא כְּדֵי לְתַקְּנָם בִּלְבַד

Rather, its descent into this world, fated to be clothed in the body and the vital soul, is solely in order to rectify them The holy soul descends into a body not for its own sake, but for the benefit of "others." It is on a mission, placed here to rectify the body and its vitalizing animal soul.

וּלְהַפְרִידָם מֵהָרַע שֶׁל שָׁלֹשׁ קְלִיפּוֹת הַטְּמֵאוֹת עַל יְדֵי שְׁמִירַת שס"ה לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה וְעַנְפֵיהֶן,

and to separate the body and vital soul from the evil of the three impure kelippot , by observing the 365 prohibitions and their offshoots, The body and vital soul of a Jew derive from kelippat noga, which is comprised of good and evil elements. The initial phase of rectifying and improving the body and vital soul is their separation from the evil elements in kelippat noga. This is achieved by observing the 365 prohibitions, the purpose of which is to protect the body and the vital soul from becoming spiritually impure and attached to evil.

וּלְהַעֲלוֹת נַפְשׁוֹ הַחִיּוּנִית עִם חֶלְקָהּ הַשַּׁיָּיךְ לָהּ מִכְּלָלוּת עוֹלָם הַזֶּה וּלְקַשְּׁרָם וּלְיַיחֲדָם בְּאוֹר אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא, אֲשֶׁר יַמְשִׁיךְ בָּהֶם עַל יְדֵי קִיּוּמוֹ כָּל רמ"ח מִצְוֹת עֲשֵׂה בְּנַפְשׁוֹ הַחִיּוּנִית, שֶׁהִיא הִיא הַמְקַיֶּימֶת כָּל מִצְוֹת מַעֲשִׂיּוֹת כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל.

and to elevate his vital soul, along with its corresponding part of the totality of this world, and to bind and unify them with the light of Ein Sof , blessed be He, which he, the person, draws down into them by fulfilling all 248 positive mitzvot using his vital soul, the very thing that fulfills all the action-based mitzvot, as mentioned above. The second phase in the rectification of the body and vital soul is the binding of the vital soul, together with its corresponding part of the physical world, with the light of Ein Sof. In this phase, the good elements in the animating soul are connected to the source of good and divine holiness. The person achieves this by fulfilling the 248 positive mitzvot through the medium of his 248 limbs and vital soul. These are the only tools through which the action-based mitzvot can be performed, as the holy soul itself cannot fulfill such mitzvot. Its only task is to assist in forming this bond with the light of Ein Sof, to spur, motivate, and goad the body and vital soul to fulfill the mitzvot and become elevated through them.

וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב [בְּעֵץ חַיִּים שַׁעַר כ"ו] כִּי הַנְּשָׁמָה עַצְמָהּ אֵינָהּ צְרִיכָה תִּיקּוּן כְּלָל כו', וְלֹא הוּצְרְכָה לְהִתְלַבֵּשׁ בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וכו' רַק לְהַמְשִׁיךְ אוֹר לְתַקְּנָם כו', וְהוּא מַמָּשׁ דּוּגְמַת סוֹד גָּלוּת הַשְּׁכִינָה, לְבָרֵר נִיצוֹצִין וכו'.

It is also written (in Etz Ḥayyim 26: 1) that the soul itself does not require any rectification whatsoever, and so on, and was required to become clothed in this world, and so on, only to draw down light to rectify the body and vital soul. This is actually similar to the mystery of the exile of the Divine Presence, the purpose of which is to elevate the sparks, and so forth. The mystery of the exile of the Divine Presence mentioned in this passage in Etz Ḥayyim refers to the idea that the "exile" it experiences is not for itself, but for the sake of the world throughout which it wanders. The Divine Presence is represented by the collective souls of Israel, also known as the congregation of Israel. On a deeper level, "the congregation of Israel" alludes to the assembling and gathering of divine light (known as "Yisrael") scattered throughout the worlds. The Divine Presence is exiled in the world in the sense that it roams this physical realm, sifting through its coarseness, gathering and elevating the sparks of holiness that were trapped there since they "fell" when the primordial vessels were shattered. Like the exile of the Divine Presence within this world, the divine soul "descends" into exile within the body for the express purpose of elevating the elements of holiness contained therein. Its mission is also to elevate the sparks of holiness contained within the vital soul and within the parts of the world that correspond and are connected to it. The divine soul (or neshama ) itself is pure, literally a portion of God above, and so it does not require purification and elevation. Yet it descends into a physical body, tasked with refining and rectifying both that body and the parts of this world related to and affected by it. It follows that the more the mitzva is interconnected with physical objects in this world and the broader its reach, so is its cosmic effect. To the extent that the mitzva relates to and impacts this world, so is the neshama's success in its mission. It is not for naught that the author of the Tanya adds the seemingly superfluous expression "actually" ("this is actually similar to…"). This term is meant to emphasize the fact that the analogy between the exile of the neshama and the Divine Presence is not merely superficial in nature, but is very real and actual indeed. The author uses this expression to underscore the truly quintessential connection between the neshama and the Divine Presence, where the former is in a certain sense a mere detail of the latter. The descent of the neshama into the body cannot be understood on its own, but only as a particularized instance of the more encompassing exile of the Divine Presence.

וּבָזֶה יוּבָן מַה שֶּׁהִפְלִיגוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ ז"ל בִּמְאֹד מְאֹד בְּמַעֲלַת הַצְּדָקָה, וְאָמְרוּ שֶׁשְּׁקוּלָה כְּנֶגֶד כָּל הַמִּצְוֹת (בבא בתרא ט, א), וּבְכָל תַּלְמוּד יְרוּשַׁלְמִי הִיא נִקְרֵאת בְּשֵׁם מִצְוָה סְתָם, כִּי כָּךְ הָיָה הֶרְגֵּל הַלָּשׁוֹן לִקְרוֹא צְדָקָה בְּשֵׁם מִצְוָה סְתָם.

In light of the above, one can now understand why our Rabbis extolled the supreme virtue of the mitzva of charity, asserting that it is equivalent to all the mitzvot combined (Bava Batra 9a). Moreover, throughout the entire Jerusalem Talmud, the mitzva of charity is referred to simply as "the mitzva," for the unmodified expression "the mitzva" was commonly used in reference to the mitzva of charity, Whenever the Jerusalem Talmud refers to an unspecified mitzva, such as when discussing an individual who is actually performing a mitzva or merely thinking about one, the intent is inevitably the mitzva of charity and its various offshoots.

מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהִיא עִיקַּר הַמִּצְוֹת מַעֲשִׂיּוֹת וְעוֹלָה עַל כּוּלָּנָה. שֶׁכּוּלָּן הֵן רַק לְהַעֲלוֹת נֶפֶשׁ הַחִיּוּנִית לַה', שֶׁהִיא הִיא הַמְקַיֶּימֶת אוֹתָן וּמִתְלַבֶּשֶׁת בָּהֶן, לִיכָּלֵל בְּאוֹר אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא הַמְלוּבָּשׁ בָּהֶן.

because it is the core of the action-based mitzvot, surpassing them all. For the sole purpose of all of them, i.e., these action-based mitzvot, is to elevate the vital soul to God, as this is the very thing that fulfills them and enclothes itself in them, becoming absorbed in the light of Ein Sof , blessed be He, which is enclothed in the mitzvot. Every action-based mitzva plays two roles, each operating on distinct planes. The first role is to elevate the world – that is, the materiality previously located in the neutral realm intermediating between holiness and impurity (i.e., kelippat noga ) – to the realm of holiness. The second is to elevate to holiness the vital soul of the person performing the mitzva. Although the action element of the mitzva is a garment of the divine soul (see chap. 4), nevertheless, the divine soul itself cannot be directly involved in the performance of the mitzva (on account of its sublime nature), and so it requires the services of the vital soul, which acts as the force energizing and motivating the body to execute the action element of the mitzva. When the vital soul fulfills its task of driving the body to perform a mitzva, it too is elevated along with this mitzva, becoming absorbed within the divine essence clothed in the mitzva performed. These two roles inhere in the mitzva of charity on a higher and more intensive level than in the other mitzvot.

וְאֵין לְךָ מִצְוָה שֶׁנֶּפֶשׁ הַחִיּוּנִית מִתְלַבֶּשֶׁת בָּהּ כָּל כָּךְ כִּבְמִצְוַת הַצְּדָקָה,

You will find no other mitzva in which the vital soul is enclothed to the same extent as it is in the mitzva of charity, The vital soul is indeed enclothed in every action-based mitzva, but it is enclothed to a far greater degree in the mitzva of charity.

שֶׁבְּכָל הַמִּצְוֹת אֵין מִתְלַבֵּשׁ בָּהֶן רַק כֹּחַ אֶחָד מִנֶּפֶשׁ הַחִיּוּנִית בִּשְׁעַת מַעֲשֵׂה הַמִּצְוָה לְבַד,

for with regard to all other mitzvot, only one faculty of the vital soul is enclothed in them, and does so only while performing the mitzva. For example, lighting the Shabbat candles is a single action stimulated by the momentary influence of the person's vital soul. Likewise, when one dons tefillin, he is performing a specific action, elevating only one faculty of his vital soul that participated in and motivated this action.

אֲבָל בִּצְדָקָה שֶׁאָדָם נוֹתֵן מִיְּגִיעַ כַּפָּיו, הֲרֵי כָּל כֹּחַ נַפְשׁוֹ הַחִיּוּנִית מְלוּבָּשׁ בַּעֲשִׂיַּית מְלַאכְתּוֹ אוֹ עֵסֶק אַחֵר שֶׁנִּשְׂתַּכֵּר בּוֹ מָעוֹת אֵלּוּ, וּכְשֶׁנּוֹתְנָן לִצְדָקָה הֲרֵי כָּל נַפְשׁוֹ הַחִיּוּנִית עוֹלָה לַה'.

Yet in the case of charity, whereby a person gives money earned from the toil of his hands, all the energy of his vital soul becomes enclothed in the effort exerted in his labor or in another occupation through which he earned this money. Thus, when he gives it to charity his entire vital soul ascends to God. The mitzva of charity is to give of oneself to another. The giving of money in an act of charity does not fully encapsulate the depths of this mitzva, which in truth extends far beyond what can be discerned by this isolated act. The act of giving can be viewed as a summation of the broad scope of efforts and actions the vital soul expended and executed over the course of time, leading up to and culminating in this single act. The charity money not only expresses the intense labor expended by the vital soul, but also epitomizes its desires and passionate pursuit of wealth – all of which are now condensed within the money being given. In this sense, the money is invested with the energy, labor, time, and essence of the soul. When a person then gives this money to charity, he essentially is giving the value of all the energy spent in its acquisition. The more a person labored and invested in obtaining this money, the more he gives of his soul. The more of himself he devoted to attaining his wealth, the greater and more encompassing is the release and subsequent transformation of his soul's energy into holiness.

וְגַם מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ נֶהֱנֶה מִיְּגִיעוֹ, מִכָּל מָקוֹם הוֹאִיל וּבְמָעוֹת אֵלּוּ הָיָה יָכוֹל לִקְנוֹת חַיֵּי נַפְשׁוֹ הַחִיּוּנִית, הֲרֵי נוֹתֵן חַיֵּי נַפְשׁוֹ לַה'.

Even someone who is not financially dependent on his personal toil, nevertheless, since he could have used this money to purchase necessities to sustain the life of his vital soul, when he gives this money to charity he is thereby giving his soul's life to God. In this brief remark, the author of the Tanya adds that even one who gives charity from funds he received without having to expend any personal effort, such as inheritance or allowance money, is still regarded as though he has given his vital soul to God. For the truth is that the source of the funds is immaterial. Since this money can be used to buy something, its possessor can potentially purchase anything necessary for his livelihood, so if he gives this money to charity, he is giving his soul's life to God. Thus, the mitzva of charity entails more than a simple, isolated act of giving some money. It is in fact an act whereby one gives God a complex and highly advanced network of personal soul desires and profound efforts. Through this act, he relinquishes to God a broad swath of life – his very soul.

וְלָכֵן אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ ז"ל שֶׁמְּקָרֶבֶת אֶת הַגְּאוּלָּה (בבא בתרא י, א).

Therefore, our Rabbis state that charity hastens the redemption (Bava Batra 10a). As was mentioned earlier, the redemption is not an isolated event, bearing no relation to events preceding it. Rather, it is an ongoing process, a culmination of the aggregate efforts and divine service of all Jews throughout the generations.

לְפִי שֶׁבִּצְדָקָה אַחַת מַעֲלֶה הַרְבֵּה מִנֶּפֶשׁ הַחִיּוּנִית, מַה שֶּׁלֹּא הָיָה יָכוֹל לְהַעֲלוֹת מִמֶּנָּה כָּל כָּךְ כֹּחוֹת וּבְחִינוֹת בְּכַמָּה מִצְוֹת מַעֲשִׂיּוֹת אֲחֵרוֹת.

For through a single act of charity one elevates a significant portion of the vital soul, of which the same number of soul faculties and facets could not be elevated by the performance of many other action-based mitzvot combined. Every mitzva one performs effectuates a change both in the world and in the soul. Each mitzva constitutes another phase in the unfolding process of redemption, thus ultimately hastening its arrival. The mitzva of charity plays a particularly significant role in the redemptive process by virtue of its far-reaching and profoundly powerful impact on both the soul and the world, more so than other mitzvot. The author of the Tanya now proceeds to address an apparent difficulty posed by a talmudic statement made in reference to the mitzva of Torah study:

וּמַה שֶּׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ ז"ל, שֶׁתַּלְמוּד תּוֹרָה כְּנֶגֶד כּוּלָּם (פאה פרק א משנה א),

With regard to our Rabbis' statement that Torah study is equivalent to all the mitzvot (Pe'a 1:1), This statement in tractate Pe'a apparently contradicts the aforementioned assertion (based on another talmudic statement mentioned above) that the mitzva of charity is equal to all the other mitzvot combined. Furthermore, it was taught previously that God's abode in the lower realms is created specifically by the performance of action-based mitzvot. This poses a unique difficulty with regard to the mitzva of Torah study, which, in contrast to other action-based mitzvot, does not involve a physical action. Thus, how can the mitzva of Torah study be equivalent to all the other mitzvot, more so than the mitzva of charity, an action-based mitzva? The author of the Tanya resolves this apparent contradiction by enumerating two unique qualities that the mitzva of Torah study does not share with the mitzva of charity.

הַיְינוּ מִפְּנֵי שֶׁתַּלְמוּד תּוֹרָה הִיא בְּדִבּוּר וּמַחֲשָׁבָה, שֶׁהֵם לְבוּשִׁים הַפְּנִימִיִּים שֶׁל נֶפֶשׁ הַחִיּוּנִית.

this is because the mitzva of Torah study is accomplished with the faculties of speech and thought, which are the innermost garments of the vital soul. The first quality unique to the mitzva of Torah study not shared by any other mitzva is that whereas action-based mitzvot are chiefly performed using the vital soul's external garment of action, the mitzva of Torah study is primarily accomplished by using the vital soul's innermost garments of speech and thought. In this sense, although the connection with the Divine achieved through Torah study is not as expansive and intense as that attained through the mitzva of charity, it is nevertheless of a loftier and more profound nature. Giving charity is primarily a physical act, and so the connection to God generated thereby is (relatively) limited by the physical body. The connection to the Divine formed through the study of Torah, by contrast, is far more profound, for it directly involves human consciousness and not the corporeal body. There is no other mitzva by which a person becomes so deeply and intimately connected with God (see chap. 5 above).

וְגַם מַהוּתָן וְעַצְמוּתָן שֶׁל בְּחִינוֹת חָכְמָה בִּינָה דַּעַת מִקְּלִיפַּת נוֹגַהּ שֶׁבַּנֶּפֶשׁ הַחִיּוּנִית נִכְלָלוֹת בִּקְדוּשָּׁה מַמָּשׁ כְּשֶׁעוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה בְּעִיּוּן וְשֵׂכֶל.

Furthermore, the essence and being of the intellectual faculties of Ḥokhma , Bina , and Da'at of kelippat noga in the vital soul are literally absorbed within holiness when one engages in Torah study by plumbing its depths and exerting mental effort. When one engages in Torah study according to his unique intellectual capability, the faculties of understanding and apprehension utilized in this process become unified with the Torah itself. This is in contrast to other mitzvot, in which the part of a person's body used to perform a particular mitzva serves only as a tool in its execution, but does not become one with it. Every mitzva one performs creates a bond with the Divine that transcends the individual's intellectual capabilities. The very fact that one fulfills God's will forges a bond and connection with Him, regardless of whether or not the person is aware of it. Torah study, on the other hand, is at a higher level. When engaged in the study of Torah, one employs not only the physical, but also the spiritual elements of his being. It follows that the impact the mitzva of Torah study has upon the person engaged in it is not lost in an ethereal realm, hovering just out of the person's reach. Rather, it penetrates the innermost chambers of his soul, effecting a profound change in the deepest recesses of his consciousness. When a person uses his hand to give charity, it becomes an extension of God's hand, as it were. Despite this lofty status, there is no noticeable impact or change in the giver's physical hand. Torah study, by contrast, effects a veritable change in one's intellect. His faculty of Ḥokhma (wisdom) literally becomes a vessel of holiness, its essence transforming from a state of indifference to one of holiness. When one employs his intellect by thinking about a particular topic of Torah, he is at that very moment thinking God's thoughts. This person's faculties of Ḥokhma, Bina, and Da'at are instantly converted into Godly intellect.

וְאַף שֶׁמַּהוּתָן וְעַצְמוּתָן שֶׁל הַמִּדּוֹת חֶסֶד גְּבוּרָה תִּפְאֶרֶת כו' לֹא יָכְלוּ לָהֶם הַבֵּינוֹנִים לְהַפְּכָם לִקְדוּשָּׁה,

Although beinonim are incapable of overpowering the essence and being of the emotive attributes of Ḥesed (Kindness), Gevura (Restraint), Tiferet (Beauty) and so on, to the extent that they can transform them into holiness, The ability for the essence of the intellectual faculties (even those of the vital soul) to become absorbed within holiness is a characteristic unique to them (namely, Ḥokhma, Bina, and Da'at ). This absorption, occurring while the person studies Torah, renders holy these faculties themselves. By contrast, the emotive attributes of the vital soul of the beinoni, the intermediate-level person, such as love and fear, cannot undergo a fundamental change. Granted, there are certain instances, such as during a particularly devotional prayer experience, where these emotive attributes are inactive, posing no distractions. Perhaps they even provide support and serve as intermediaries for the attributes of the divine soul. Yet ultimately their essence cannot transform into holiness. The beinoni's raw attributes of love and fear cannot be converted at their core into love and fear of God. This distinction is largely a function of the nature of the animal soul. Since a person's inception, the emotions of his animal soul are drawn in very specific directions, tending from the outset to particular objects. When someone experiences feelings of attraction, he is by definition drawn to a particular object, something that already exists. Practically speaking, we are not endowed with the capability of experiencing generic emotions. Each emotion we experience is necessarily directed toward a particular thing or object: a desire for something or an aversion to it. Because the animal soul is, in a certain sense, the spiritual expression of the body, it is thus capable of expressing the body's objects of interest, its passions and desires. This is in stark contrast to the intellectual faculties. Ḥokhma, Bina, and Da'at are inherently undirected. Even in a situation where one consciously applies his intellectual faculty to a particular matter, the faculty of thought present here is not intrinsically linked with the object at which it is directed. Instead, it is an undirected power that can change its object almost effortlessly. Just as it is very difficult, almost impossible, to change the objects of one's desires (an aspect of one's emotions), so is it easy, nearly effortless, to change the direction and object of the intellect from one thing to another, from one direction of contemplation to a completely opposite one.

הַיְינוּ מִשּׁוּם שֶׁהָרַע חָזָק יוֹתֵר בַּמִּדּוֹת מִבְּחָכְמָה בִּינָה דַּעַת, מִפְּנֵי יְנִיקָתָן שָׁם מֵהַקְּדוּשָּׁה יוֹתֵר, כַּיָּדוּעַ לְיוֹדְעֵי חֵן.

this is because evil is stronger in the emotive attributes than it is in Ḥokhma , Bina , and Da'at , as the kelippot there derive more nourishment from holiness, as is known to those initiated in the esoteric wisdom of Kabbala. In his explanation of the deeper reason underlying the fundamental difference between the emotive attributes and intellectual faculties, the author of the Tanya hints at one of the core tenets of kabbalistic thought, namely, the shattering of the vessels in the world of Tohu. As he explains elsewhere, the shattering of the vessels is the cause of the admixture of good and evil within existence. This cosmic event is described as having varying degrees of impact upon the sefirot. On a very basic level, the shattering of the vessels transpired within the lower seven sefirot, the emotive attributes, and not within the intellectual sefirot of Ḥokhma, Bina, and Da'at (or at least not to the same extent). Thus, there is a greater presence of evil embedded in the emotive attributes than there is in the intellectual faculties. While it is true that the intellect can in fact choose to do things that are not good, it is not inherently bound to evil. As explained above, the intellect is characterized by its objectivity; it is by nature not automatically defined or impacted by good and evil. The emotive attributes, by contrast, are characterized by their intrinsic directionality and so are necessarily drawn toward either good or evil. Love, for example, does not exist in a vacuum. We cannot describe someone who is experiencing a feeling of love as loving nothing. He must love some thing, yet he can choose to direct his love toward good or toward evil. It is therefore easier to effect a rectification in the intellect than in the emotive attributes. When a person studies Torah, he engages his intellect, which then becomes merged at its core with the Torah studied. Through this process, one's consciousness and the object of his consciousness become one entity. The intellect and subject matter meld into a unified whole, an essence formed of the person's innermost being and the Torah in which he engages. The entire Torah is suffused with divine holiness. When one studies, for example, the verse "In the beginning, God created…" the holiness contained in those words penetrates the essence of his soul, resulting in a harmonious blend of Torah and soul. The knowledge of that verse, now merged with his soul's essence, is not a mere transient experience, but is seared forever in his memory. This person could in theory subsequently commit every sin in the world, but without focused, concentrated effort, his actions are powerless to excise from his being this newly formed entity. He can no longer erase the knowledge contained within those timeless words, "In the beginning, God created," as they have already penetrated to his core.

זֹאת וְעוֹד אַחֶרֶת, וְהִיא הָעוֹלָה עַל כּוּלָּנָה, בְּמַעֲלַת עֵסֶק תַּלְמוּד תּוֹרָה עַל כָּל הַמִּצְוֹת, עַל פִּי מַה שֶּׁכָּתוּב לְעֵיל(תיקוני זהר, תיקון ל [עד, א]) דְּרמ"ח פִּיקּוּדִין הֵן רמ"ח אֵבָרִים דְּמַלְכָּא.

There is an additional, far more important point pertaining to the advantage engaging in Torah study possesses over all other mitzvot, and it is based on the above-mentioned statement (chap. 23) from the Tikkunei Zohar (74a), that the 248 positive mitzvot are the 248 limbs of the King (God). Thus far, two reasons have been provided in describing the superiority of Torah study over the other mitzvot. The first reason is that while engaged in Torah study, one activates one's soul's two innermost garments – thought and speech. The second reason given is that Torah study effectuates a core change in the soul's intellectual faculties (Ḥokhma, Bina, and Da'at ). The author of the Tanya now presents a third, far more significant reason, surpassing the other two in importance. This statement from the Tikkunei Zohar teaches that when a person fulfills one of the 248 positive mitzvot, he simultaneously functions as one of God's "limbs" within the world. When, for example, one gives charity, he in fact becomes the embodiment of God's hand, as it were, which provides the sustenance for all of existence. Every mitzva thus serves as the vehicle for the manifestation of God in the world. The person fulfilling the mitzva converts, so to speak, another portion of the world into a part, or "limb," of God.

וּכְמוֹ בָּאָדָם הַתַּחְתּוֹן דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל, אֵין עֲרוֹךְ וְדִמְיוֹן כְּלָל בֵּין הַחַיּוּת שֶׁבְּרמ"ח אֵיבָרָיו לְגַבֵּי הַחַיּוּת שֶׁבַּמּוֹחִין, שֶׁהוּא הַשֵּׂכֶל הַמִּתְחַלֵּק לְג' בְּחִינוֹת: חָכְמָה בִּינָה דַּעַת,

Just as, for example, in the case of a mortal man, there is no comparison or similarity whatsoever between the life force animating his 248 limbs and the life force vivifying the brain, namely, the intellect, which is divided into the three faculties of Ḥokhma , Bina , and Da'at , The expression "mortal man" (literally, "the lower man") used in this analogy is contrasted here with "supernal man" (literally, "the higher man"), the latter being a supernal structure comprised of the "248 limbs of the King." Even a "lowly" human being is sustained and animated by a life force that courses through his entire body, extending its reach to include the seemingly insignificant toenails as well. Despite this, there is without a doubt a vast distinction between the life force animating the brain and that which energizes the hands and feet, for example. This distinction is not merely quantitative, but is of an immeasurably qualitative nature. Elsewhere the author of the Tanya differentiates between "outer" and "inner" limbs. The outer limbs are calculated as totaling 248, while the inner limbs refer to the organs, such as the brain, heart, liver, etc. From the standpoint of halakha, the organs are not considered limbs and so are not included among the 248 limbs enumerated with regard to the laws of ritual impurity, for example. Despite this distinction, the life force flowing through the inner limbs is regarded as a deeper, more impactful force in contrast to that vivifying the outer limbs. In this sense, when comparing the mitzvot to the 248 limbs, Torah study parallels the brain. It follows that Torah study bears an aspect that both transcends and has the same force as all the other mitzvot combined. Let us take this a step further by considering a view expressed by the author of the Tanya pertinent to the subject at hand. In several contexts, the author suggests that there are two unrelated mitzvot pertaining to Torah. One is the mitzva to study Torah, which is fulfilled primarily through speech (that is, by articulating the words of the Torah subjects he studies). The other mitzva is to know and understand the Torah he studies. Knowing and understanding the Torah one studies is not necessarily synonymous with the act of studying Torah. A person can fulfill the mitzva of Torah study without knowing the Torah, that is, without understanding and knowing the meaning of what he has studied. Conversely, one can know Torah concepts he has studied previously without actively being engaged in Torah study at that moment. Like any mitzva, the mitzva to study Torah must in some way bear a connection, however minimal it may be, to the physical world. This can come about only by its being enclothed within the 248 limbs. By contrast, the mitzva to know Torah is not enclothed in a physical garment, and so parallels the "inner limbs." Though distinct from the 248 outer limbs, the inner limbs are in fact those which the life force of the entire body is dependent upon. The mitzva to know Torah correlates not to the 248 limbs, but instead parallels the vitality of the soul that powers the body.

כָּכָה מַמָּשׁ דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל

in literally the same manner, figuratively speaking – This expression, repeated several times throughout the book, seems to be self-contradictory. If it is "literally the same manner," it cannot simultaneously be "figuratively speaking," and vice versa. Yet, this apparent paradox can be resolved as follows: The basic function of an analogy is to compare two things for the purpose of clarification. In this context, the analogy used plays a more significant role. It functions as the medium by which the reader can literally grasp the true meaning and essence of the concept being presented. The essential bond between the limbs of the body and those of the soul is as true in this world as it is on every plane of existence, including those in the higher worlds. Having said that, it is crucial to remember that when dealing with the higher worlds, we are not dealing with physical limbs, but with entirely different entities. It is in this regard that the analogy presented is to be taken in only a figurative sense.

לְהַבְדִּיל בְּרִבְבוֹת הַבְדָּלוֹת לְאֵין קֵץ, בְּהֶאָרַת אוֹר אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא הַמִּתְלַבְּשׁוֹת בְּמִצְוֹת מַעֲשִׂיּוֹת לְגַבֵּי הֶאָרַת אוֹר אֵין סוֹף שֶׁבִּבְחִינוֹת חָכְמָה בִּינָה דַּעַת שֶׁבְּחָכְמַת הַתּוֹרָה, אִישׁ אִישׁ כְּפִי שִׂכְלוֹ וְהַשָּׂגָתוֹ.

though removed by untold degrees of separation – is it with regard to the radiance of the light of Ein Sof , blessed be He, clothed in action-based mitzvot, compared to the radiance of the light of Ein Sof clothed in the faculties of Ḥokhma , Bina , and Da'at of a person immersed in the wisdom of the Torah, each person receiving an illumination commensurate with what he understood using his intellect and according to his mental grasp. The radiance of the light of Ein Sof shining upon one who fulfills an action-based mitzva pales in comparison to that which shines upon one who grasps any facet of Torah, no matter how meager his level of comprehension, provided he devoted his every fiber of being and intellect toward that cause. These two levels of illumination are simply beyond comparison. If the mitzvot are the limbs of God, the Torah is His wisdom. The brain of the greatest fool contains a greater degree of life force than that in the hand of the wisest person. By the same token, a person who is capable of a mere rudimentary grasp of Torah still merits an illumination immeasurably greater than that attained through the fulfillment of mitzvot.

וְאַף שֶׁאֵינוֹ מַשִּׂיג אֶלָּא בְּגַשְׁמִיּוּת,

Although one grasps the Torah only in physical terms, It was mentioned above that when a person grasps an aspect of Torah he is essentially grasping the wisdom of God. The Torah as we have it, however, is couched in physical terms, such as the halakhot pertaining to an ox that gores a cow and fringes on four-cornered garments. It would seem then that the Torah we grasp – described as the veritable wisdom of God – is ostensibly meager in nature, limited to the physical realm.

הֲרֵי הַתּוֹרָה נִמְשְׁלָה לְמַיִם שֶׁיּוֹרְדִים מִמָּקוֹם גָּבוֹהַּ כו‘, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר לְעֵיל,

yet it is known that Torah is compared to water, which descends from a high place to a low place, as explained above (chap. 4), This analogy is meant to convey that although the Torah we study and understand as it is manifest in our lowly world deals primarily with the physical, it is nevertheless the very same Torah emanating from the highest supernal levels. Like the downward flowing nature of water, so does Torah "flow" downward into this lowly world. Though we may not understand the Torah the way God does, or even the way the angels do, the Torah we do grasp is nevertheless also regarded as Torah and divine wisdom, truly and fully. The lengthy discussion of Torah study presented thus far was a tangential excursus deviating from the main thrust of this chapter, a theme to which the author of the Tanya now returns.

וְאַף עַל פִּי כֵן אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ ז"ל: "לֹא הַמִּדְרָשׁ עִיקָּר אֶלָּא הַמַּעֲשֶׂה" (אבות פרק א משנה יז),

yet even so, our Rabbis stated, "The main thing is not the study of Torah, but rather the action" (Mishna Avot 1:17), After describing the Torah's virtues, the author of the Tanya revisits the point he made earlier in the chapter, emphasizing that the study of Torah is not of paramount importance, but rather the physical actions involved in the performance of the mitzvot.

וְ"הַיּוֹם לַעֲשׂוֹתָם" כְּתִיב (דברים ז, יא).

and it is written, "You shall observe the commandment, and the statutes, and the ordinances tha I command you today, to perform them" (Deut. 7:11). The author of the Tanya stresses the phrases "today" and "to perform them." "Today" implies the realm of time, or the temporality inherent in a day; it connotes this physical world, which is defined by time and space. The phrase "to perform them," implies an action performed with one's physical body and not merely divine service limited to the intellectual and emotional faculties of the soul.

וּמְבַטְּלִין תַּלְמוּד תּוֹרָה לְקִיּוּם מִצְוָה מַעֲשִׂיִּית כְּשֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לַעֲשׂוֹתָהּ עַל יְדֵי אֲחֵרִים,

Furthermore, the halakha dictates that we are required to interrupt Torah study to fulfill an action-based mitzva when it cannot be done by others, There are two instances where an action-based mitzva cannot be fulfilled by one person in another's stead. The first instance is one involving a mitzva done with one's body, such as prayer or tefillin, in which case person A cannot practically discharge the obligation incumbent upon person B. The second instance involves a situation where a mitzva must be performed, such as giving charity or tending to a dead body, yet there is no one else in the vicinity at that particular time who can do so. The halakha states that when a person is confronted with one of these two scenarios, he cannot excuse himself from fulfilling that particular mitzva on account of his current involvement in Torah study. Granted, Torah study is equivalent to all the mitzvot combined, and so he is liable to think that he should not fulfill the mitzva in question. Nevertheless, halakha teaches that he is in fact required to interrupt his studies to do so. The unique advantage of Torah study over the performance of another mitzva is relevant only in a situation where the mitzva in question will be performed by someone other than the one engaged in study. Yet the moment there is no one else to fulfill the other mitzva (and it cannot be delayed until some later time), the obligation to physically fulfill this mitzva overrides the otherwise superior mitzva of Torah study. As will be explained, the purpose of the Torah is, in a certain sense, the practical fulfillment of the mitzvot, as the Sages taught, "The objective of Torah wisdom is to achieve repentance and good deeds" (Berakhot 17a). One who shirks this duty has effectively studied Torah not with the intention to fulfill that which he has studied; regarding him the Talmud states that "it would have been better for him had his placenta overturned [in the womb], thus preventing him from emerging into the world" (Jerusalem Talmud, Berakhot 1:2).

מִשּׁוּם "כִּי זֶה כָּל הָאָדָם" (קהלת יב, יג), וְתַכְלִית בְּרִיאָתוֹ וִירִידָתוֹ לָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, לִהְיוֹת לוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ דִּירָה בַּתַּחְתּוֹנִים דַּוְקָא,

for "this is the entire purpose of man" (Eccles. 12:13) and the purpose for which he was created and for which his soul descended into this world, namely, so that God has an abode specifically in the lower worlds, As mentioned previously, the purpose of creation and of man's divine service is to fashion an abode for God specifically in the lower worlds. It follows that the more profound the descent, the lower and more material the world, the greater is that world's ascent to its original intended purpose.

לְאַהַפְּכָא חֲשׁוֹכָא לִנְהוֹרָא, "וְיִמָּלֵא כְבוֹד ה' אֶת כָּל הָאָרֶץ" (במדבר יד, כא), הַגַּשְׁמִית דַּיְיקָא,

and to transform darkness into light, thus fulfilling the verse "The entire earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord" (Num. 14:21), that is, specifically the physical earth. Man's purpose in this physical realm is to transform the darkness of the world into light, thereby creating an abode for God. The term "earth" implies physicality. The verse therefore emphasizes that man's divine service is meant to create an abode for God in this physical world, and not merely on some abstract spiritual plane.

"וְרָאוּ כָל בָּשָׂר יַחְדָּיו" (ישעיה מ, ה), כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל.

"וְרָאוּ כָל בָּשָׂר יַחְדָּיו" (ישעיה מ, ה), כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל. Then "the glory of the Lord will be revealed and all flesh will see together …" (Isa. 40:5), as mentioned above (chap. 36). The prophet does not employ the seemingly more logical phrase "all people," but rather "all flesh," in order to stress the material aspect that characterizes man – a being of "flesh and blood." The purpose of creation is to reveal God's glory not only to the soul, but even to the flesh, the physical body. Thus, because action-based mitzvot are, by definition, performed with the physical body (the "flesh") and within the material world, they in particular bring to fruition the purpose of creation – an abode for God. This demonstrates their superiority to Torah study, provided the mitzvot cannot be performed by others, as mentioned above.

מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן כְּשֶׁאֶפְשָׁר לַעֲשׂוֹתָהּ עַל יְדֵי אֲחֵרִים – אֵין מְבַטְּלִין תַּלְמוּד תּוֹרָה (רמב"ם הלכות תלמוד תורה פ"ד ה"ב) אַף שֶׁכָּל הַתּוֹרָה אֵינָהּ אֶלָּא פֵּירוּשׁ הַמִּצְוֹת מַעֲשִׂיּוֹת.

This is not so, however, when the mitzva can be performed by others. In that case, we do not interrupt the study of Torah (Rambam, Sefer HaMadda, Hilkhot Talmud Torah 4:2), even though the entire Torah is only an explanation of the action-based mitzvot. Seemingly, the entire Torah is a guidebook instructing us how to fulfill the mitzvot. This certainly appears to be true with regard to the aspects of Torah discussing the practical application of action-based mitzvot. Yet even the more abstract areas of Torah can be perceived as serving as a guide to, and elaboration upon, the mitzvot of faith in God and love of Him. This being the case, why is it that when a mitzva can be performed by someone else, the halakha dictates that one who is engaged in Torah study should continue his study session uninterrupted? It seems counterintuitive that one studying tractate Sukka – a mere guide on how to build a sukka – should not interrupt his studies and build one himself! Why is it that where there are others available to build one in his stead, he is absolved of this responsibility? The author of the Tanya proceeds to resolve this question:

וְהַיְינוּ מִשּׁוּם שֶׁהִיא בְּחִינַת חָכְמָה בִּינָה דַּעַת שֶׁל אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא, וּבְעָסְקוֹ בָּהּ מַמְשִׁיךְ עָלָיו אוֹר אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּיֶתֶר שְׂאֵת וְהֶאָרָה גְּדוֹלָה לְאֵין קֵץ מֵהֶאָרָה וְהַמְשָׁכָה עַל יְדֵי פִּקּוּדִין, שֶׁהֵן אֵבָרִים דְּמַלְכָּא.

This is because the Torah is the level of Ḥokhma , Bina , and Da'at of Ein Sof , blessed be He. Therefore, when one occupies himself with it, he draws down upon himself a far greater intensity of the light of Ein Sof, blessed be He, an illumination infinitely greater than the illumination and influx effectuated by the mitzvot, which are merely the limbs of the King. One who engages in Torah study taps into the level of Ḥokhma, Bina, and Da'at of Ein Sof. This draws down a radiance infinitely more powerful than the influx generated by one who performs a mitzva. Relative to the inner level of Ḥokhma, Bina, and Da'at, the mitzvot are regarded as being on a more external level (symbolized by the limbs of the King).

וְזֶה שֶׁאָמַר רַב שֵׁשֶׁת: "חֲדַאי נַפְשַׁאי, לָךְ קְרַאי, לָךְ תְּנַאי" (פסחים סח, ב), כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר בַּאֲרִיכוּת.

This is the meaning of Rav Sheshet's statement, "Rejoice my soul, for you I have read Tanakh, for you I have studied Mishna," as explained elsewhere at length. The soul rejoices in the fulfillment of every mitzva, for through it one attains a oneness with God that transcends any degree of unity resulting from a mystical experience. This talmudic passage demonstrates that the study of Torah generates an even greater sense of joy for the soul. For through this act and the holiness engendered thereby, the soul attains a far more profound oneness with God, felt by the person on both a conscious and tangible level.

וְהִנֵּה הַמְשָׁכָה וְהֶאָרָה זוֹ שֶׁהָאָדָם מַמְשִׁיךְ וּמֵאִיר מֵהֶאָרַת אוֹר אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא עַל נַפְשׁוֹ, וְעַל נַפְשׁוֹת כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל,

This influx and illumination from the radiance of the light of Ein Sof , blessed be He, that a person draws down and causes to illuminate upon his soul and upon all the souls of Israel, The phrase "upon all the souls of Israel" is similar to that used in the textual formula many say before performing a mitzva: "For the sake of the unification of the Holy One, blessed is He, and His presence, in the name of all of Israel." It is proper to have this intent prior to performing every mitzva, to fulfill it "in the name of all of Israel" (see chap. 41 below). Yet whether a person has this intent or not, anything a member of Israel does is essentially "in the name of all Israel." At its core, "all of Israel" is one body. All the limbs and organs of a living, physical body are interconnected and inextricably linked to one another, such that whatever one part of the body does, whether positive or negative, impacts the other parts. This is true of the people of Israel. The righteous deeds of a righteous person elevate all the other souls of Israel, and, by contrast, the evil acts perpetrated by an evil person drag them down.

הִיא הַשְּׁכִינָה, כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, מְקוֹר כָּל נִשְׁמוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל, כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר לְקַמָּן,

which is also known as the Divine Presence, the congregation of Israel, and the source of all the souls of Israel, as will be explained below (chap. 41), The Divine Presence is the reservoir of the souls of Israel. It encompasses all souls, regardless of their particular placement, appearance in history, and unique characteristics. The Divine Presence is the source from which all souls emanate and to which they return. It is the ocean into which all rivers flow and from which they issue forth. It follows that when an individual person performs an act of divine service, he thereby draws down divine illumination not only upon his personal being but also upon the essence of the entire congregation of Israel, upon the Jewish nation as a whole.

עַל יְדֵי עֵסֶק הַתּוֹרָה, נִקְרֵאת בִּלְשׁוֹן קְרִיאָה, 'קוֹרֵא בַּתּוֹרָה', פֵּירוּשׁ: שֶׁעַל יְדֵי עֵסֶק הַתּוֹרָה קוֹרֵא לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לָבוֹא אֵלָיו כִּבְיָכוֹל, כְּאָדָם הַקּוֹרֵא לַחֲבֵירוֹ שֶׁיָּבֹא אֵלָיו,

and which is accomplished through Torah study, is referred to as keria, as in the expression korei baTorah . The meaning here is that by engaging in Torah study one calls out to the Holy One, blessed be He, to come to him, as it were, like a person who calls to his friend to come to him, The Hebrew term koreh can mean either "to read" or "to call out." The word koreh in the phrase koreh baTorah is typically understood in its first sense, in which case the phrase means "one who is reading [sections of] the Torah." In the present context, the author of the Tanya suggests a novel interpretation of the same phrase. He understands it in the second sense, namely, "to call out." According to this, the phrase now means "one who calls out by means of the Torah." The idea here is that Torah study is the means by which one calls out to God, as it were, in a manner similar to one who calls his friend's name to get his attention.

וּכְבֵן קָטָן הַקּוֹרֵא לְאָבִיו לָבֹא אֵלָיו לִהְיוֹת עִמּוֹ בְּצַוְותָּא חֲדָא וְלֹא לִיפָּרֵד מִמֶּנּוּ וְלִישָּׁאֵר יְחִידִי חַס וְשָׁלוֹם.

or like a young child calls to his father to come to him and join him, and not to part from him, leaving him alone, God forbid. The meaning of one who "reads the Torah" now takes on an emotional and poetic hue. In a world in which God is not revealed, a person is an isolated existence, and he feels like a child who finds himself alone in a vast and threatening world. What does such a child do? He calls his father to come and be with him. A person does not want to and cannot remain alone in the world, and therefore, he calls to his Father. How does he call Him? He "reads the Torah," that is, he calls out to God by means of his Torah study. Through the Torah, he creates the togetherness with his Father in Heaven.

וְזֶה שֶׁכָּתוּב: "קָרוֹב ה' לְכָל קוֹרְאָיו לְכֹל אֲשֶׁר יִקְרָאוּהוּ בֶאֱמֶת" (תהלים קמה, יח). וְאֵין אֱמֶת אֶלָּא תּוֹרָה. דְּהַיְינוּ, שֶׁקּוֹרֵא לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עַל יְדֵי הַתּוֹרָה דַּוְקָא, לְאַפּוּקֵי מִי שֶׁקּוֹרֵא אוֹתוֹ שֶׁלֹּא עַל יְדֵי עֵסֶק הַתּוֹרָה, אֶלָּא צוֹעֵק כָּךְ: 'אַבָּא! אַבָּא!'

This is the meaning of the verse "The Lord is close to all who call Him, to all who call Him with truth" (Ps. 145:18), and there is no truth other than Torah. That is, he calls out to God specifically by means of the Torah. This is in contrast to one who calls out to Him not through engaging in Torah study, but merely shouts, "Father! Father!" Based on the context here, the verse from Psalms is understood to mean that God is near, i.e., draws close, to anyone who calls out to Him by means of "truth," which our Sages explain refers to Torah – the only real truth. This is in contrast to one who calls out to God by merely crying: "Father! Father!" One who calls out in this manner is only expressing feelings and deep yearning, and although this too is a form of calling, it does not penetrate the outer edges of existence; its impact is, in a sense, limited. One who calls out through Torah, however, is heard on a cosmic level. The Torah is the name of God, and so through Torah study one taps into that divine essence, thus forming a connection to that which is beyond man's existence, to God Himself.

וּכְמוֹ שֶׁקּוֹבֵל עָלָיו הַנָּבִיא: "וְאֵין קוֹרֵא בְשִׁמְךָ" כו' (ישעיה סד, ו), וּכְמוֹ שֶׁמְּבוֹאָר בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר.

About him the prophet bemoans, "There is no one calling Your name" (Isa. 64:6), as explained elsewhere. The Torah is the name of God. When a person studies Torah, he is calling out to God by His name. Yet when a person calls out to God not by name, but rather in a less intimate way, it cannot be said that he is "truly" calling out to God. It may be an expression of a person who wants to call out to God, which itself has value. Nevertheless, true calling is achieved by using the proper tool, the Torah, in order for the call to reach God, to be heard, and effectively draw down the divine influx. Elsewhere, the author of the Tanya addresses this idea from another angle. On the surface, the prophet's words "Ho, everyone thirsty, go to water!" (Is. 55:1) are strange. What benefit is there in telling a thirsty person to go to water? This is stating the obvious! Moreover, we encounter another difficulty in the following talmudic teaching. The Talmud states that the term "water" referenced in the above verse refers only to [the study of] Torah (Bava Kamma 17a). Why must the prophet tell one who wishes to study Torah to go and do so? That is obviously his course of action! Rather, the prophet's words must be understood thus: The phrase "Ho, everyone thirsty" refers not to one who thirsts for Torah, but to one who thirsts for God, while the following phrase, "go to water," refers to Torah. The lesson here is that a person who wishes to quench his soul's thirst for a true and enduring closeness to God – not merely a superficial, transient relationship – can do so only through the study of Torah.

וּמִזֶּה יִתְבּוֹנֵן הַמַּשְׂכִּיל לְהַמְשִׁיךְ עָלָיו יִרְאָה גְּדוֹלָה בִּשְׁעַת עֵסֶק הַתּוֹרָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר לְעֵיל [פֶּרֶק כ"ג].

The intelligent person should reflect upon this in order to draw down upon himself a great awe while engaged in Torah study, as explained above (chap. 23). In his concluding remarks in the chapter, the author of the Tanya emphasizes the importance of contemplating these matters and the awe of God such reflection will generate. One can treat the study of Torah as he does any other subject. He can study it as he does professional studies or as an intellectual pursuit, absent of any inner, emotional connection. In order to prevent this, a person must be aware of the import of his actions when studying Torah. He needs to consider the fact that his involvement in Torah study is essentially a call to God by His name, asking Him to come. In that moment, he is no longer alone, but rather standing before the King of kings, speaking and thinking together with God. In these moments, both his words and thoughts are united and fused with those of God, forming a unified whole. When a person is aware of all this, he will certainly feel a sense of "tremendous awe," the appropriate feeling when studying Torah.