Part IV; Iggeret HaKodesh, Chapter 27
The whole chapterיג וְהִנֵּה, בִּהְיוֹת הַצַּדִּיק חַי עַל פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה, הָיוּ שְׁלֹשָׁה מִדּוֹת אֵלּוּ בְּתוֹךְ כְּלִי וּלְבוּשׁ שֶׁלָּהֶם בִּבְחִינַת מָקוֹם גַּשְׁמִי, שֶׁהִיא בְּחִינַת נֶפֶשׁ הַקְּשׁוּרָה בְּגוּפוֹ, וְכָל תַּלְמִידָיו אֵינָם מְקַבְּלִים רַק הֶאָרַת מִדּוֹת אֵלּוּ וְזִיוָן, הַמֵּאִיר חוּץ לִכְלִי זֶה עַל־יְדֵי דִּבּוּרָיו וּמַחְשְׁבוֹתָיו הַקְּדוֹשִׁים, וְלָכֵן אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה שֶׁאֵין אָדָם עוֹמֵד עַל דַּעַת רַבּוֹ וְכוּ׳.
13Now, while the tzaddik was alive on earth, these three attributes were contained in their vessel and garment on the plane of physical space. This is the aspect of the nefesh bound to his body. All his disciples receive but a radiation from these attributes and a ray [from them] radiating beyond this vessel by means of his holy utterances and thoughts. That is why our Sages, of blessed memory, said that a person cannot comprehend his master….50
ידאֲבָל לְאַחַר פְּטִירָתוֹ, לְפִי שֶׁמִּתְפָּרְדִים בְּחִינַת הַנֶּפֶשׁ שֶׁנִּשְׁאֲרָה בַּקֶּבֶר מִבְּחִינַת הָרוּחַ שֶׁבְּגַן עֵדֶן, שֶׁהֵן שָׁלֹשׁ מִדּוֹת הַלָּלוּ, לְפִיכָךְ יָכוֹל כָּל הַקָּרוֹב אֵלָיו לְקַבֵּל חֵלֶק מִבְּחִינַת רוּחוֹ שֶׁבְּגַן עֵדֶן, הוֹאִיל וְאֵינָהּ בְּתוֹךְ כְּלִי וְלֹא בִּבְחִינַת מָקוֹם גַּשְׁמִי, כַּנּוֹדָע מַאֲמַר רַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה עַל יַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ עָלָיו־הַשָּׁלוֹם שֶׁנִּכְנַס עִמּוֹ גַּן עֵדֶן, וְכֵן כָּתַב בְּסֵפֶר עֲשָׂרָה מַאֲמָרוֹת, שֶׁאֲוִיר גַּן עֵדֶן מִתְפַּשֵּׁט סָבִיב כָּל אָדָם, וְנִרְשָׁמִים בַּאֲוִיר זֶה כָּל מַחְשְׁבוֹתָיו וְדִבּוּרָיו הַטּוֹבִים בַּתּוֹרָה וַעֲבוֹדַת ה׳ (וְכֵן לְהֵיפֶךְ חַס וְשָׁלוֹם נִרְשָׁמִים בַּאֲוִיר הַמִּתְפַּשֵּׁט מִגֵּיהִנֹּם סָבִיב כָּל אָדָם).
14But after his passing, because the nefesh [which remains in the grave] is separated from the ruach [i.e., these three attributes] which is in the Garden of Eden,51 whoever is close to him can receive a part from the aspect of his ruach [which is in the Garden of Eden], because it is no (longer) within a vessel, nor on the plane of physical space. Thus is known the saying of our Sages, of blessed memory, with reference to our father Jacob, peace be to him, that “the Garden of Eden entered with him.”52 Likewise it is stated in the book Asarah Maamarot that the sphere of the Garden of Eden spreads itself around every person, and in this sphere are recorded all his good thoughts and utterings of Torah and Divine service (53and likewise to the contrary, Heaven forfend: they54 are recorded in the sphere of Gehinom, which spreads itself around every person55).
טוהִלְכָּךְ, נָקֵל מְאֹד לְתַלְמִידָיו, לְקַבֵּל חֶלְקָם מִבְּחִינַת רוּחַ רַבָּם הָעַצְמִיִּית, שֶׁהֵם אֱמוּנָתוֹ וְיִרְאָתוֹ וְאַהֲבָתוֹ אֲשֶׁר עָבַד בָּהֶם אֶת ה׳, וְלֹא זִיוָום בִּלְבַד הַמֵּאִיר חוּץ לַכְּלִי, לְפִי שֶׁבְּחִינַת רוּחוֹ הָעַצְמִית מִתְעַלָּה בְּעִילּוּי אַחַר עִילּוּי, לְהִכָּלֵל בִּבְחִינַת נִשְׁמָתוֹ שֶׁבְּגַן עֵדֶן הָעֶלְיוֹן שֶׁבָּעוֹלָמוֹת הָעֶלְיוֹנִים.
15Thus it is very easy for his disciples to receive their part of the essential aspects of their master’s ruach, i.e., his faith, his awe, and his love, wherewith he served the L–rd and not merely a ray thereof which radiates beyond the vessel. For the essential aspect of his ruach is raised, elevation upon elevation, to become absorbed in his neshamah, which is in the Higher Garden of Eden, in the supreme worlds.
טזוְנוֹדָע, שֶׁכָּל דָּבָר שֶׁבִּקְדוּשָּׁה אֵינוֹ נֶעְקָר לְגַמְרֵי מִכֹּל וָכֹל מִמְּקוֹמוֹ וּמַדְרֵגָתוֹ הָרִאשׁוֹנָה, גַּם לְאַחַר שֶׁנִּתְעַלָּה לְמַעְלָה לְמַעְלָה. וּבְחִינָה זוֹ הָרִאשׁוֹנָה שֶׁנִּשְׁאֲרָה לְמַטָּה בְּגַן עֵדֶן הַתַּחְתּוֹן בִּמְקוֹמוֹ וּמַדְרֵגָתוֹ הָרִאשׁוֹנָה, הִיא הַמִּתְפַּשֶּׁטֶת בְּתַלְמִידָיו, כָּל אֶחָד כְּפִי בְּחִינַת הִתְקַשְּׁרוּתוֹ וְקִרְבָתוֹ אֵלָיו בְּחַיָּיו וּבְמוֹתוֹ בְּאַהֲבָה רַבָּה, כִּי, הַמְשָׁכַת כָּל רוּחָנִיּוּת, אֵינָהּ אֶלָּא עַל־יְדֵי אַהֲבָה רַבָּה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בַּזּוֹהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ דְּרוּחַ דִּרְעוּתָא דְלִבָּא אַמְשִׁיךְ רוּחַ מִלְּעֵילָא, רַק אִם יִכּוֹן לִקְרַאת אֱלֹהָיו בַּהֲכָנָה רַבָּה וִיגִיעָה עֲצוּמָה, לְקַבֵּל שָׁלֹשׁ מִדּוֹת הַלָּלוּ, כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁהוֹרָהוּ רַבּוֹ, וּכְמַאֲמַר רַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה: ״יָגַעְתָּ וּמָצָאתָ – תַּאֲמִין״.
16Now it is known that something sacred is never wholly and totally uprooted from its place and original level, even after it has reached the highest point.56 Thus it is this original aspect, remaining below, in the Lower Garden of Eden, in its place and original level, which extends itself among his disciples, each one according to the level of his alliance and closeness to (the tzaddik) during his lifetime and after his death out of a magnanimous love. For the efflux of anything spiritual is but by means of a magnanimous love. Thus it is stated in the sacred Zohar51 that the spirit (ruach) in a mode of the willingness of the heart (reuta deliba)58 elicits a spirit from above; thus only when he will prepare himself toward his G–d59 with a great preparation and immense effort to receive these attributes60 in the way that his master taught him, and as the saying of our Sages, of blessed memory: “If you have labored and (claim to have) found—believe it.”61
Kehot Publication Society · CC BY-NC · sefaria.org
Kehot Publication Society · CC BY-NC · sefaria.org