Part IV; Iggeret HaKodesh, Chapter 23
The whole chapterדכִּי, קְבִיעַת שָׂכָר הוּא – שֶׁמֵּאִיר ה׳ ״לְנֶפֶשׁ תִּדְרְשֶׁנּוּ״, בְּאוֹר תּוֹרָתוֹ, שֶׁהוּא מַעֲטֵה לְבוּשׁוֹ מַמָּשׁ, וְלָכֵן נִקְרֵאת הַתּוֹרָה ״אוֹר״, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״עוֹטֶה אוֹר כַּשַּׂלְמָה״, וְהַנֶּפֶשׁ הִיא בַּעֲלַת גְּבוּל וְתַכְלִית בְּכָל כֹּחוֹתֶיהָ, לָכֵן גַּם אוֹר ה׳ הַמֵּאִיר בָּהּ הוּא גְבוּלִי, מְצוּמְצָם, וּמִתְלַבֵּשׁ בְּתוֹכָהּ, וְעַל כֵּן יִתְפָּעֵל לֵב מְבַקְשֵׁי ה׳ בִּשְׁעַת הַתְּפִלָּה וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָהּ, כִּי בוֹ יִשְׂמַח לִבָּם, וְיָגִיל ״אַף גִּילַת וְרַנֵּן״, וְתִתְעַנֵּג נַפְשָׁם בְּנוֹעַם ה׳ [נוסח אחר: עַל ה׳] וְאוֹרוֹ, בְּהִגָּלוֹתוֹ מִמַּעֲטֵה לְבוּשׁוֹ שֶׁהִיא הַתּוֹרָה, וְיָצָא כַבָּרָק חִצּוֹ, וְזוֹ הִיא קְבִיעַת שְׂכַר הַתּוֹרָה, הַקְּבוּעָה תָּמִיד בְּנֶפֶשׁ עֲמֵלָה בָּהּ.
4The difference between causing an indwelling (hashraah) and the allotment of a reward is explicit to those who discern knowledge. For the “allotment of a reward” is when G–d irradiates the soul that seeks Him with the light of Torah, which is truly the wrapping of His garment—[wherefore the Torah is called “light”13], as it is written:14 “He wraps (Himself in) light, as (with) a garment.”15 But because the soul is limited and finite in all its powers, the light of G–d that radiates in it is also limited, contracted, and vests itself in (the soul). That is why the heart of those who seek the L–rd is in a mode of ecstasy at the time of prayer, or the like. For their heart rejoices in Him and exults “Even with exultation and song,”16 and their soul delights in the pleasantness of the L–rd17 and His light as it becomes revealed from the wrapper of His garment—the Torah; “And His arrow comes forth like lightning.”18 This is the allotment of the reward for Torah, which is always fixed in the soul that labors in (Torah).
האֲבָל הַהַשְׁרָאָה – הִיא הֶאָרָה עֲצוּמָה מֵאוֹר ה׳ הַמֵּאִיר בָּהּ בְּלִי גְבוּל וְתַכְלִית, וְאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְהִתְלַבֵּשׁ בְּנֶפֶשׁ גְּבוּלִית, כִּי אִם מַקִּיף עָלֶיהָ מִלְמַעְלָה – מֵרֹאשָׁהּ וְעַד רַגְלָהּ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חֲכָמֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה: ״אַכָּל בֵּי עֲשָׂרָה שְׁכִינְתָּא שַׁרְיָא״, כְּלוֹמַר – עֲלֵיהֶם מִלְמַעְלָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: ״וִיהִי נוֹעַם ה׳ עָלֵינוּ, וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֵינוּ כּוֹנְנָה עָלֵינוּ״, כְּלוֹמַר, כִּי ״נוֹעַם ה׳״ אֲשֶׁר הוֹפִיעַ בְּ״מַעֲשֵׂה יָדֵינוּ״, בְּעֵסֶק הַתּוֹרָה וְהַמִּצְוֹת, דְּ״אוֹרַיְיתָא וְקוּדְשָׁא־בְּרִיךְ־הוּא כּוּלָּא חַד״ – יִתְכּוֹנֵן וְיִשְׁרֶה עָלֵינוּ מִלְמַעְלָה, לִהְיוֹתוֹ בְּלִי גְבוּל וְתַכְלִית וְאֵינוֹ מִתְלַבֵּשׁ בְּנַפְשֵׁנוּ וְשִׂכְלֵנוּ.
5The indwelling (hashraah), however, is an immense radiation from the light of G–d that radiates in (the soul) without limit and end. It cannot become vested in a finite soul, but encompasses it from above, from “its head to its foot,”19 as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: “The Shechinah hovers over every gathering often,”20 i.e., over them, from above.21 Thus it is written: “May the pleasantness of the L–rd our G–d be upon us, and the work of our hands establish upon us.”22 This is to say that the pleasantness of the L–rd which shone forth through the work of our hands in the occupation with Torah and the commandments [for “The Torah and the Holy One, blessed is He, are entirely one”23] become established and “dwell upon us from above,” for it is without limit and end and does not become vested in our soul and intellect.
ווְעַל כֵּן, אֵין אָנוּ מַשִּׂיגִים בְּשִׂכְלֵנוּ הַנְּעִימוּת וְהָעֲרֵיבוּת מִ״נּוֹעַם ה׳״ וְזִיו הַשְּׁכִינָה בְּלִי גְבוּל וְתַכְלִית, אֲשֶׁר מִתְכּוֹנֵן וְשׁוֹרֶה עָלֵינוּ בְּ״מַעֲשֵׂה יָדֵינוּ״, בְּתוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹת בָּרַבִּים דַּוְקָא. וְעַל זֶה אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה: ״שְׂכַר מִצְוָה בְּהַאי עָלְמָא לֵיכָּא״, כִּי אִי אֶפְשָׁר לָעוֹלָם לְהַשִּׂיגוֹ, כִּי אִם – בְּהִתְפַּשְּׁטוּת הַנֶּפֶשׁ מֵהַגּוּף. וְאַף גַּם זֹאת – עַל דֶּרֶךְ הַחֶסֶד, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: ״וּלְךָ ה׳ חָסֶד, כִּי אַתָּה תְּשַׁלֵּם לְאִישׁ כְּמַעֲשֵׂהוּ״ וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה, שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא נוֹתֵן כֹּחַ בַּצַּדִּיקִים כוּ׳.
6That is why we do not apprehend with our intellect the delightfulness and sweetness of the unlimited and infinite pleasantness of the L–rd, and the splendor of the Shechinah, established and dwelling upon us through the work of our hands in Torah and the commandments (performed) specifically en masse.24 And of this our Sages, of blessed memory, said: “In this world there is no reward for the commandments.”25 For it is impossible for the world to attain it [the reward] but by divesting the soul from the body, and even then by way of grace, as it is written: “And that Yours, my L–rd, is kindness, for You repay each man according to his deeds.”26 Thus our Sages, of blessed memory, said that the Holy One, blessed is He, gives unto the righteous a capacity….27
זמַה־שֶּׁאֵין־כֵּן בַּמַּלְאָכִים כְּמוֹ שֶׁשָּׁמַעְתִּי מֵרַבּוֹתַי: כִּי אִילּוּ נִמְצָא מַלְאָךְ אֶחָד עוֹמֵד בְּמַעֲמַד עֲשָׂרָה מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל בְּיַחַד, אַף שֶׁאֵינָם מְדַבְּרִים בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה – תִּפּוֹל עָלָיו אֵימָתָה וָפַחַד בְּלִי גְבוּל וְתַכְלִית, מִשְּׁכִינְתָּא דְּשַׁרְיָא עֲלַיְיהוּ, עַד שֶׁהָיָה מִתְבַּטֵּל מִמְּצִיאוּתוֹ לְגַמְרֵי.
7It is not so, however, with the angels, as I heard from my masters that if there were an angel standing in the presence of a gathering of ten Israelites [even if there are no words of Torah between them], an unlimited and infinite fear and awe would then befall him from the Shechinah that dwells over them that he would become totally nullified.28
Kehot Publication Society (English Translation)