אגרת הקודש

TWELVE. “And the act of tzedakah will effect peace, and the service of tzedakah—quietness and surety forever.”1Isaiah 32:17. The difference between “act” and “service,” and between “peace” and “quietness and surety,”2Text adds here etc., but omitted according to H. V. will be understood by what our Sages, of blessed memory, said on the verse “He makes peace in His high places”3Job 25:2.: “Michael is the prince of water and Gabriel is the prince of fire, yet they do not extinguish one another.”4See Tanchuma, Vayigash 6; cf. Sefer Habahir, par. 9 (11) (quoted in Zohar I:263a); Zohar III:225a; Tikkunei Zohar 70 (132a). See also Devarim Rabbah 5:12.

That is, Michael is the prince of chesed—which is called water5Zohar II:175b; etc. See above, Epistle 8, note 14. because it descends from a high place to a low place,6See above, Epistle 8, note 15. i.e., the aspect of the effusion and extension of vivification from the upper to the lower worlds. The aspect of fire [the nature of which is to soar upward] is the category of gevurah,7Zohar III:255a; ibid., 257a; Tikkunei Zohar 69 (105a). of a withdrawal of the effusion of vivification [from below upward], in order not to effuse except by way of a great and immense contraction (tzimtzum). Now these are conflicting attributes, opposing one another, that is, when they are in a mode of separate attributes.

But the Holy One, blessed is He, makes peace between them, namely by means of a revelation, that a great illumination and an immense effusion from the light of the En Sof, blessed is He, becomes revealed in them. [For as His Name, so is He.8En Sof, Infinite.—See above, Epistle 7, note 5. He is not, Heaven forfend, on the plane of a measure, but transcends exceedingly—ad infinitum—even the rank of chabad,9Acronym for chochmah, binah, daat. which is the source of the attributes.10See Likkutei Amarim, Part II, ch. 9.] And thus the opposing attributes of Michael and Gabriel are absorbed in their source and root, and they become truly unified and dissolve in His light, blessed be He, which radiates to them in a manifest way.

The gevurot, thus, are tempered and sweetened in the chasadim by a mediary—the factor which harmonizes and leans toward chesed, i.e., the attribute of rachamim.11See below, Epistle 15. In the terminology of the Kabbalists12Chachmei HaEmet, in the Hebrew—lit., the “sages of the truth” (i.e., of Kabbalah). (this attribute) is called tiferet, because it is made up of the two colors white and red, which allude to chesed and gevurah.13Zohar III:248b; Tikkunei Zohar, Introduction 1a (text, and the inserted gloss which appears also in Zohar Chadash, Tikkunim, 117c) and 19:39b; see also Zohar Chadash 34a-b and Zohar I:18b. Pardes Rimonim, 10:1 ff. Cf. Sefer Habahir 49 (137).

The Name of Havaya, blessed be He, as it appears unqualified throughout the Torah, therefore, indicates the attribute of tiferet, as mentioned in the sacred Zohar.14Zohar III:11a (see Shaarei Orah (Gikatilla), ch. 5; Pardes Rimonim 1:10). Cf. Sifrei, Deuteronomy 27 (on Deuteronomy 3:24), Shemot Rabbah 3:6, Zohar III:65a: “The Name of Havaya always denotes rachamim.” For here the degree of the manifestation of the light of the En Sof, blessed is He, is of an immense illumination, surpassing that of His other blessed attributes.

Now, the arousal from above [to arouse a manifestation of said great illumination and immense effusion from the light of the En Sof, blessed is He] to bring about the said peace is effected by the arousal from below, by the act of charity and the effusion of “life, favor, kindness, and compassion”15Par. Liturgy, concluding benediction of the Amidah. to him who has nothing of his own and “To revive the spirit of the humble….”16Par. Isaiah 57:15.

It is well known that our Sages, of blessed memory, said of him who busies himself with Torah lishmah17For its own sake, as a command of G–d, without any ulterior motives. See Likkutei Amarim, Part I, end of ch. 5. that “he sets peace among the attendants of above and among the attendants of below.”18Sanhedrin 99b. The “attendants of above” are the princes19Guardian angels. and attributes mentioned above. For these are the upper hechalot20Shrines; realms. in the world of Beriah, mentioned in the sacred Zohar.21Zohar II:245a ff. (see Nitzutzei Orot, ad loc.). The “attendants of below” are the lower hechalot, and especially this base world which, due to the sin of Adam, is mingled good and evil, and the evil rules over the good as it is written “While man rules in man…,”22Ecclesiastes 8:9; see Etz Chaim 49:4 (quoted in Hadrat Melech on Zohar II:95b). and “Nation will overpower nation.”23Genesis 25:23; see Rashi, ad loc. (Pesachim 42b, Rashi, ad loc., and cf. Zohar II:236a and 240a).

This is empirically evident with terrestrial man who is called a microcosm,24Tanchuma, Pekudei 3; see Avot d’R. Nattan, ch. 31. for sometimes the good prevails, and sometimes the reverse, Heaven forfend.

Therefore there will be no peace in the world until the time of the end, when the good shall be disencumbered from the evil25Cf. Tanchuma, Teitzei 11 (Rashi on Exodus 17:16 and Tosafot, Berachot 3a, s.v. Veonin) and Zohar II:67a (end of Beshalach). to become attached to its root and source, the Source of Life, blessed is He. For then all the workers of iniquity26The forces of evil. shall be scattered27Par. Psalms 92:10. and the spirit of impurity shall pass from the earth,28Par. Zechariah 13:2. i.e., when the element of the good which sustains it shall be extracted from its midst.29See below, Epistle 26, and cf. Addendum, Mystical Concepts in Chassidism (s.v. Shevirat Hakelim).

This disencumberment (birur) itself will also be through a manifestation of His Divinity below, with a great illumination and immense effulgence, as it is written: “For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the L–rd,”30Isaiah 11:9. and “The glory of the L–rd shall be revealed….”31Isaiah 40:5.

Now, this is as regards the future of the world, in general. But as regards terrestrial man, at every “time of finding,”32Psalms 32:6. meaning prayer,33See the beginning of this verse, and cf. Zohar III:79b. or at other times designated to seclude oneself with one’s Maker, each one, commensurate to his actions, merits a reflection of this birur by means of engagement with Torah lishmah, and likewise by means of charity, as it is related:34Bava Batra 10a. R. Eliezer gave a coin to a poor man, and then he prayed, as it is written:35Psalms 17:45. “Through tzedek I will behold Your Countenance”—i.e., the rank of a manifest illumination and effusion of knowledge and reason, to contemplate on the greatness of G–d, thereof to beget the intellectual awe and love, as known.36See above, Epistle 8.

And through this we extract the good for G–d, and separate the evil, as it is written: “The crucible is for silver, and the furnace for gold, and man according to his praise.”37Proverbs 27:21. This means, “according to his praising G–d”38Ibn Ezra renders the word as “his praising of Him.” (R. Schneur Zalman uses this interpretation in several places. See Torah Or, Beshalach 65b and 111c; Likkutei Torah, Nasso 28c; Siddur Im Dach 30d.)—with profound knowledge, to beget awe and love, that is how we disencumber the good and separate the evil, analogous to the extraction and separation of the drosses from the silver and gold in the crucible and furnace.

Now, it is well known that Israelites are by their very nature compassionate and performers of kindness.39Yevamot 79a. Cf. Jerusalem Talmud, Kiddushin 4:1; Bamidbar Rabbah 8:4; Maimonides, Hilchot Issurei Biah 9:17 and Hilchot Matnot Aniyim 10:2. This is so because their souls issued from His attributes, blessed be He, in which chesed prevails over the attribute of din, gevurah, and tzimtzum,40Synonymous terms; see Addendum, Mystical Concepts in Chassidism. and as it is written:41Psalms 103:11. “His chesed prevails over them who fear42Denoting the attribute of gevurah. Him.” The neshamah,43The soul proper (see above, Epistle 5, note 53). therefore, is called “daughter of the priest,”44Leviticus 22:12 ff. as mentioned in the sacred Zohar.45Zohar II:95a ff. (ibid., 101a, III:7a.—The kohanim (priests) are of the category of chesed (see Zohar I:256b; III:121b, and 145b).

Now, the charity that issues from this aspect is referred to as “the act of charity,” for the term act (maaseh) applies to that which is already done, or which is in constant action of itself, thus, something existent and usually constant. So here, too, the trait of kindness and compassion is implanted in the souls of the whole House of Israel from aforetimes, from the time of their creation and evolution from His attributes, blessed be He, as it is written: “He breathed into his nostrils…,”46Genesis 2:7. and “You did breathe it into me,”47Liturgy, Morning Prayers. and “He who exhales….”48See Likkutei Amarim, Part I, ch. 2; cf. Nachmanides on Genesis 2:7; Zohar III:46b; Kitzurim V’Hearot, p. 74.—All these quotations imply the Divine origin of the neshamah. Furthermore, “In His goodness He renews the act of creation every day,”49Liturgy, Morning Prayers. Cf. above, Epistle 11, note 9. and “They are new every morning….”50Lamentations 3:23.

An idiom of avodah (service), however, applies only to what man does with immense toil: it is contrary to his natural inclination, but he abnegates his nature and will before the will of the Supreme One, blessed is He, as, for example, to exhaust himself in Torah and prayer “to the extent of pressing out the soul….”51See Sifrei, Deuteronomy 32 (on Deuteronomy 6:5). And in our case, too, as regards the commandment of charity, he gives exceedingly more than the nature of his compassion and will, and as our Sages, of blessed memory, commented52Sifrei, Deuteronomy 117. on the verse53Deuteronomy 15:10. “Give, you shall give”: “even a hundred times.”54Text adds here etc., but omitted according to H. V.

And this is the meaning of “And the act of charity [shall be]”—i.e., even with that type of charity which is called an “act” [and not “service”], the arousal from below will elicit an arousal from above. One arouses a manifestation of the light of the En Sof, blessed is He, by way of a great illumination and immense effulgence, and peace is made in His high places and also among the attendants of below.

Though in this base world, the peace and the birur and separation of the evil from the good will not be manifest until the time of the end [but not during the time of the exile, as mentioned above], except in the microcosm, i.e., man, at every “time of finding”—meaning prayer, as it is written: “Through tzedek I will behold Your Countenance,” as mentioned above. Even so, after prayer it is possible that the evil will easily reawaken and become intermingled with the good as one walks in the darkness of this world.

But through the charity, which is in a mode of avodah, whereas its rank is extremely glorious and great [because one abnegates his nature and bodily will before the will of the Supreme One, blessed is He, and “subdues the sitra achara, and then rises the glory of the Holy One, blessed is He…,”55Zohar II:128b. and just “like the excellence of light over darkness,”56Ecclesiastes 2:13. as known57See Zohar III:47b; see also ibid., II:187a, and Likkutei Amarim, Part I, ch. 12.], the evil can no longer reawaken so easily of itself, unless, Heaven forfend, man would arouse it and draw it upon himself.

And this is the meaning of “quietness and surety forever.” השקט (quietness) is of the etymon of “שוקט—(he rests) on his dregs,”58Jeremiah 48:11 (cf. Kitzurim V’Hearot, p. 76 ff.). meaning that the dregs are completely separated from the wine and fall completely netherward, while the wine above is wholly pure and clear. In an analogous manner it is with the avodah of charity: the dregs are the aspect of the mixture of evil in his soul which is gradually extricated and separated until it falls netherward to its root and source, and as it is written: “And You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.”59Micah 7:19.