אגרת הקודש

EIGHT. “He sows tzedakot and causes yeshu’ot to sprout.”1Liturgy, Morning Prayers. Cf. Maamarei Admur Hazaken Haketzarim, p. 533, for an exposition of this section. The usage of an idiom of “sowing” in relation to the commandment of charity [and as it is written in the verse “Sow then for yourselves for tzedakah…”2Hosea 10:12.] will be understood by what our Sages, of blessed memory, said:3Bava Batra 10a. “Rabbi Eliezer gave a coin to a poor person and then prayed, as it is written:4Psalms 17:15. Through tzedek I will see Your face.”5Cf. Torat Shmuel—5633, vol. 2, p. 463 ff. This means that the manifestation of His G–dliness, blessed be He, which becomes revealed in the thought of man and in his devotion during prayer,6Which is called the “service of his heart” (see below, note 11); cf. Or Zarua, beg. of Hilchot Keriat Shema, par. 7 (s.v. Amar Ravin; ed. Zitomir 1862, vol. 1, 11a). each according to his own measure,7Tikkunei Zohar 70 (135b); Zohar I:103b. is a means of “charity” and the “chesed of the L–rd eternally upon those who fear Him….”8Psalms 103:17.

This means, the light of the L–rd, the En Sof, blessed is He, which radiates with a great illumination above in the upper worlds [which are the hechalot with the angels and souls in them, explained in the sacred Zohar9Zohar I:38a ff.; ibid., 41a ff.; II:244b ff. by their names according to their places in the order of prayer arranged for us by the Men of the Great Assembly] is in a state of so great and immense a manifestation that these (supernal creatures) are truly in a state of self-nullification and esteemed as truly naught before Him, absorbed in His light, blessed be He. Now, this light, which is good,10Par. Genesis 1:4. radiates from there to this lowly world, upon those that fear the L–rd and esteem His Name, who desire to worship Him by the “service of the heart—meaning prayer,”11Sifrei, Deuteronomy 42 (on Deuteronomy 11:13); Taanit 2a. and as it is written12II Samuel 22:29 (Psalms 18:29).: “And the L–rd will enlighten my darkness.”

Now, the descent of this illumination downward to this world is called the “chesed of the L–rd”13See above, note 7.—referred to as water,14Zohar II:175b; III:255a and 257a; see also Pardes Rimonim 23:13, s.v. Mayim, and below, note 15. which descends from a high place to a low place….15Cf. Tikkunei Zohar 69 (105a) (and 13 (70b)). See below, Epistle 12 and Torah Or, Vayera 14c.

Now it is well known that above there is also an attribute of gevurah, and tzimtzum, to contract and conceal His light, blessed be He, to prevent it from becoming revealed to the lower worlds.16See below, Epistle 15. However, everything depends on the arousal from below.17See above, Epistle 5, note 83. For if man conducts himself with kindness by bestowing life and chesed, and so on, he arouses the same above, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: “With the degree that man measures, it shall be measured to him.”18Mishnah, Sotah 1:7.

Though it would appear that this is not of the (same) measure: (man deserves) only that the life of the World to Come be granted to him, corresponding to his bestowal of life in this world; but not that the life from the illumination of the actual light of G–d19V. L.: the actual light of the En Sof, blessed is He. be diffused to him to illumine and enlighten his darkness in “the service of the heart—which is prayer.” For the latter is a grade and level of “higher repentance” (teshuvah ilaah),20For an explanation of this term see Iggeret Hateshuvah, ch. 8 ff. (esp. ch. 10). as is well known, inasmuch as it surpasses exceedingly all the life of the World to Come , as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: “Better one hour of repentance and good deeds…,”21Avot 4:17. as explained elsewhere at length22Likkutei Amarim, Part I, end of ch. 4. Cf. also above, Epistle 1, note 22. that the World to Come is but a gleam and reflection….23See Berachot 17a and Maimonides, Hilchot Teshuvah, ch. 8.—See above, Epistle 1, note 22 and Likkutei Torah, Derushim LiShemini Atzeret 83d. While teshuvah tataah (lower teshuvah) corresponds to malchut, teshuvah ilaah transcends this level and corresponds to the higher binah. (See Zohar III:122a ff., and Tikkunei Zohar 6 (22a); Iggeret Hateshuvah, ch. 9.) He who stands in a mode of teshuvah is called baal teshuvah; the Zohar interprets this term literally as “possessed of teshuvah,” signifying an absolute unification with teshuvah and the level it represents. See Zohar II:106b and comm., ad loc.; cf. Maharal, Derech Chaim on Avot 4:17.

However, metaphorically speaking, the idea is like sowing seeds or planting kernels: the ear that sprouts from the seed, and the tree with its fruits from the kernel, their nature and essence are not that of the seed and kernel at all. For their24I.e., of the seed and kernel. nature and essence has been spent and is decayed in the soil. It is the vegetative property in the soil itself which brings out and makes grow the ear, the tree, and its fruit; it is merely that it does not bring out and manifest its power outwardly, from potential to actuality, except through the seed and the kernel that are decayed in the soil and whose whole power has been consumed by the vegetative property in the soil—and they united and became one. And that is how the vegetative property actualizes its potential and effuses vitality to make grow an ear of the kind of the seed, though with a very great increase in every single ear, and likewise, many fruits on every single tree. Moreover, the very nature and essence of the fruits, too, excels in a great and immense magnitude over the nature and essence of the planted kernel. And it is likewise with the produce of the earth which grows from seeds just like kernels, as cucumber, and the like.

All this is so because the stem and root of the vitality of the fruits effuses from the vegetative property in the soil—which includes the vitality of all fruits—while the kernels that are sown in the ground are but like the arousal from below, which in the writings of the Arizal25See above, Epistle 5, note 103. is referred to as the “elevation of the mayin nukvin.”26See above, Epistle 4, note 46.

Now, metaphorically speaking, precisely like this, every act of charity that Jewish people perform ascends in the sense of an “elevation of the mayin nukvin,” upward—to the root of their souls above, which, in the phraseology of the Zohar, is referred to as Knesset Yisrael and imma tataah, and in the phraseology of the Talmud—as Shechinah.27In the Zohar, the terms Knesset Yisrael and Imma Tataah are synonymous with malchut and Shechinah. (See Pardes Rimonim 23:1 and 11, s.v. Eim Habanim and Knesset Yisrael; Likkutei Amarim, Part I, ch. 52; below, Epistle 25.) There are some instances where this would not seem to be so, but see Nitzutzei Orot on Zohar II:85a (and on Zohar II:90a). See also Shaarei Orah (Gikatilla), end of ch. 1. The Shechinah compounds and is totally united with all the attributes of the Holy One, blessed is He, the first of which is the attribute of chesed. Now, through this elevation, the actual “chesed of the L–rd” is aroused, i.e., a revelation of His light, blessed be He, to descend and radiate in a great and immense state of manifestation to the souls of Israel below, at least during the time of prayer.28See above, beginning of this epistle, and cf. above, end of Epistle 4. For though “His greatness is unfathomable”29Psalms 145:3.—to the extent that “all are esteemed as naught before Him,”30Zohar I:11b. even so, “where you find His greatness, there you find His humility,”31Megillah 31a [according to the versions of Pesikta Zutrata (Midrash Lekach Tov) on Deuteronomy 10:17 and Yalkut Shimoni, Psalms 794 (on Psalms 68:5)]. as “waters, which descend….”32As waters descend from a high place to a low place; a simile signifying humility (cf. Taanit 7a). In relation to G–d, the whole creation, all creatures, are insignificant, truly naught and nothing. His greatness, therefore, is not expressed through creation per se. Rather, His humility, that G–d created them nevertheless and cares for them by means of an intense and particular providence, this Divine humility expresses His greatness. Therefore, in the place where you find His greatness, there you find His humility: His humility being His greatness. (See Likkutei Torah, Shir Hashirim 40d; cf. also Likkutei Amarim, Part I, ch. 4.)

And this is the meaning of the verse: “He shines in the darkness as a light to the upright, He who is gracious, and merciful, and tzaddik.”33Psalms 112:4. For man, by being gracious and merciful and “tzaddik—fond of tzedakot,”34Par. Psalms 11:7; see Tanchuma, ed. Buber, Noach 4 (see Yalkut Shimoni, Deuteronomy, end of 873). causes the light of G–d to shine to his soul which is vested in his body—which stands in darkness, being the “hide of the snake.”35Tikkunei Zohar, Introduction 10b; above, Epistle 6, note 21. And this, when darkness is converted to light, is referred to as salvation (yeshu’ah).36See above, end of Epistle 3.

And this is the meaning of “He causes yeshu’ot to sprout.” For this salvation sprouts from [the sowing of] the charity sown in the “upper land,”37The celestial model of the terrestrial Holy Land (see below, note 44) signifies malchut, the Shechinah; cf. Pardes Rimonim 23:1, s.v. Eretz HaElyonah. “the land of delight”38Malachi 3:12 [Eretz chefetz signifies Knesset Yisrael; cf. Pardes Rimonim 23:1, s.v. Eretz Chefetz; Kitzurim V’Hearot, p. 99; Mayim Rabbim 5636, ch. 99]. (See also the commentaries of Rashba and Maharsha on Eyn Yaakov, Taanit 10a, that eretz without qualification refers to the Holy Land; and cf. Pardes Rimonim 23:1, s.v. Eretz.)—which is the Shechinah,39Cf. Targum Yonatan on Malachi 3:12. and Knesset Yisrael,40Another term for Shechinah (see above, note 26). See above, note 37. so called because it41Malchut (synonymous with Shechinah and Knesset Yisrael). vests itself in the lower worlds to animate them, as it is written:42Psalms 145:13. “Your sovereignty43Malchut. is the sovereignty of all worlds.”44Malchut (Shechinah) embodies the supreme chochmah and causes the worlds to egress into manifest substantiality (see Addendum, Mystical Concepts in Chassidism). Though we speak of malchut on various levels, relating to the various worlds, it is malchut of Atzilut that is vested in them all. This is the meaning of “Your sovereignty (malchut of Atzilut) is the sovereignty (malchut) of all worlds.” See Likkutei Amarim, Part I, ch. 52; Siddur Im Dach 53c and cf. Etz Chaim 3:1. See also below, Epistle 20, and Maamarei Admur Hazaken Haketzarim, p. 43. And this applies most particularly when one sows in the nether Holy Land, which truly corresponds to it.45Everything in the celestial spheres has its corresponding model in the terrestrial world (and vice versa), with respect to the general, as well as to the particular parts. (See Zohar I:156a-b; II:20a; III:9b.) The Sages, therefore, speak of the terrestrial Holy of Holies and its celestial counterpart; the terrestrial Temple and its celestial counterpart; the terrestrial Jerusalem, etc.; cf. Jerusalem Talmud, Berachot 4:5; Shir Hashirim Rabbah 3:19; Mechilta and Midrashim on Exodus 15:17; Tanchuma, Pekudei 1, 2; Zohar I:128b; etc. The terrestrial Holy Land, or Land of Israel, thus corresponds to the celestial one; see Zohar III:84a; and see below, notes 45 and 46. For then the seed is immediately absorbed in the upper land without any obstacle and hindrance whatsoever, because there is nothing whatsoever that divides and interrupts between the lands of life,46The terrestrial Land of Israel is referred to as the “Land of Life” (see Jeremiah 11:19 and Targum Yonatan ad loc.; Ezekiel 26:20, Targum Yonatan and commentaries, ad loc., as well as Avot d’R. Nattan, ch. 34; Ketuvot 111a; etc.) and correspondingly the celestial Land of Israel likewise; see Zohar I:115a; I:193a, and III:84a. See Pardes Rimonim 23:1, s.v. Eretz HaChaim. for it is the gate of Heaven.47“G–d will bless you out of Zion” (Psalms 128:5), “for it is the Gate of Heaven” (Rashi; see also the other comment., ad loc.). See also Genesis 28:17 and Targum, Rashi, ad loc. (see above, note 44). “This is none other than the House of G–d, and this is the Gate of Heaven”—the “Gate to G–d” (Zohar I:149b), the “Gate assuredly through which the blessings pass downward,” etc. (ibid., 150b.). Cf. also Zohar III:123b, and Ibn Ezra on Genesis 28:12. It is not so, however, outside the Holy Land, and suffice this for the initiated.

And this applies most particularly when one sows in the nether Holy Land, which truly corresponds to it.45Everything in the celestial spheres has its corresponding model in the terrestrial world (and vice versa), with respect to the general, as well as to the particular parts. (See Zohar I:156a-b; II:20a; III:9b.) The Sages, therefore, speak of the terrestrial Holy of Holies and its celestial counterpart; the terrestrial Temple and its celestial counterpart; the terrestrial Jerusalem, etc.; cf. Jerusalem Talmud, Berachot 4:5; Shir Hashirim Rabbah 3:19; Mechilta and Midrashim on Exodus 15:17; Tanchuma, Pekudei 1, 2; Zohar I:128b; etc. The terrestrial Holy Land, or Land of Israel, thus corresponds to the celestial one; see Zohar III:84a; and see below, notes 45 and 46. For then the seed is immediately absorbed in the upper land without any obstacle and hindrance whatsoever, because there is nothing whatsoever that divides and interrupts between the lands of life,46The terrestrial Land of Israel is referred to as the “Land of Life” (see Jeremiah 11:19 and Targum Yonatan ad loc.; Ezekiel 26:20, Targum Yonatan and commentaries, ad loc., as well as Avot d’R. Nattan, ch. 34; Ketuvot 111a; etc.) and correspondingly the celestial Land of Israel likewise; see Zohar I:115a; I:193a, and III:84a. See Pardes Rimonim 23:1, s.v. Eretz HaChaim. for it is the gate of Heaven.47“G–d will bless you out of Zion” (Psalms 128:5), “for it is the Gate of Heaven” (Rashi; see also the other comment., ad loc.). See also Genesis 28:17 and Targum, Rashi, ad loc. (see above, note 44). “This is none other than the House of G–d, and this is the Gate of Heaven”—the “Gate to G–d” (Zohar I:149b), the “Gate assuredly through which the blessings pass downward,” etc. (ibid., 150b.). Cf. also Zohar III:123b, and Ibn Ezra on Genesis 28:12. It is not so, however, outside the Holy Land, and suffice this for the initiated.