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אבִּגְזֵירַת עִירִין פִּתְגָמָא וּמַאֲמַר קַדִּישִׁין, חַכְמֵי הַמִּשְׁנָה עֲלֵיהֶם־הַשָּׁלוֹם, שֶׁשָּׁנוּ בְּמִשְׁנָתָם: ״עֲשָׂרָה שֶׁיּוֹשְׁבִין וְעוֹסְקִין בַּתּוֹרָה שְׁכִינָה שְׁרוּיָה בֵינֵיהֶם״, ״כִּי זֶה כָּל הָאָדָם״. וְאַף גַּם זֹאת הָיְתָה כָּל יְרִידָתוֹ בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה לְצוֹרֶךְ עֲלִיָּה זוֹ, אֲשֶׁר אֵין עֲלִיָּה לְמַעְלָה הֵימֶנָּה.

1TWENTY-THREE. “The matter is by the decree of the watch-angels and the say of the holy ones”¹—the Sages of the Mishnah, may peace be on them, who taught in their Mishnah: “Ten that sit and busy themselves with Torah, the Shechinah dwells among them.”² This is the whole of man.³ Moreover, (man’s) very descent to this world was for the purpose of this ascent, of which there is none higher.

בכִּי שְׁכִינַת עוּזּוֹ אֲשֶׁר בְּגָבְהֵי מְרוֹמִים, וְ״הַשָּׁמַיִם וּשְׁמֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם לֹא יְכַלְכְּלוּ״ אֵימָתָהּ – תִּשְׁכּוֹן וְתִתְגַּדֵּל בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: ״כִּי אֲנִי ה׳ שׁוֹכֵן בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל״, עַל־יְדֵי עֵסֶק הַתּוֹרָה וְהַמִּצְוֹת בַּעֲשָׂרָה דַוְקָא, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה: ״אַתְיָא תּוֹךְ תּוֹךְ כוּ׳״. וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר: ״בְּקִרְבְּךָ קָדוֹשׁ״, וְ״אֵין דָּבָר שֶׁבִּקְּדוּשָּׁה בְּפָחוֹת מֵעֲשָׂרָה״.

2For the Indwelling of His Might (Shechinat Uzo), which is in the heights of the upper realms⁴ and whose awesomeness the heavens and the heavens of the heavens cannot contain,⁵ dwells and becomes magnified among the children of Israel. Thus it is written: “For I, the L–rd, dwell among (toch) the children of Israel”⁶—through the occupation with Torah and the commandments by ten, expressly, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: “We compare toch-toch…”;⁷ of this it was said: “The Holy One in your midst,”⁸ and “There is no matter of holiness with less than ten.”⁹

גוּמִשּׁוּם הָכֵי נַמֵי, אִצְטְרִיךְ לְהוּ לְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה לְמֵילַף מִקְּרָא: ״מִנַּיִן שֶׁאֲפִילוּ אֶחָד שֶׁיּוֹשֵׁב וְעוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה כוּ׳״. וְאַף גַּם זֹאת, לֹא מָצְאוּ לוֹ סְמַךְ מִן הַמִּקְרָא אֶלָּא לִקְבִיעַת שָׂכָר בִּלְבַד, לְיָחִיד לְפִי עֶרְכּוֹ לְפִי [נוסח אחר: וּלְפִי] עֵרֶךְ הַמְרוּבִּים, אֲבָל לְעִנְיַן הַשְׁרָאַת קְדוּשַּׁת הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא – אֵין לוֹ עֵרֶךְ אֲלֵיהֶם כְּלָל.

3Therefore, too, our Sages, of blessed memory, need to derive from Scripture whence we know that even one who sits occupied with Torah….¹⁰ And even so they did not find from Scripture support for that, but only for the allotment of a reward to the individual, proportionate to himself and in proportion¹¹ to the many.¹² But as to causing an indwelling (hashraah) of G–d’s Holiness, (the individual) cannot be compared to (the multitude) at all.

Kehot Publication Society (English Translation)