Part IV; Iggeret HaKodesh, Chapter 17

א נוֹדָע, דִּבְ״אִתְעָרוּתָא דִלְתַתָּא״, שֶׁהָאָדָם מְעוֹרֵר בְּלִבּוֹ מִדַּת הַחֶסֶד וְרַחֲמָנוּת עַל כָּל הַצְּרִיכִים לְרַחֲמִים – ״אִתְעָרוּתָא דִלְעֵילָּא״, לְעוֹרֵר עָלָיו רַחֲמִים רַבִּים מִמְּקוֹר הָרַחֲמִים, לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ לוֹ הַפֵּירוֹת בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, וְהַקֶּרֶן לָעוֹלָם־הַבָּא.

1SEVENTEEN.¹ It is known that an arousal from below, when man arouses in his heart the trait of kindness and compassion for all those in need of compassion, this elicits an arousal from above, i.e., an arousal of great compassion upon him from the source of compassion,² to effuse to him the “Fruits in this world, while the principal remains for the World to Come.”³

בפֵּירוּשׁ, ״הַפֵּירוֹת״ – הִיא הַשְׁפָּעָה הַנִּשְׁפַּעַת מִמְּקוֹר הָרַחֲמִים וְחַיֵּי הַחַיִּים בָּרוּךְ־הוּא, וְנִמְשֶׁכֶת לְמַטָּה מַּטָּה בִּבְחִינַת הִשְׁתַּלְשְׁלוּת הָעוֹלָמוֹת מִלְמַעְלָה לְמַטָּה כוּ׳, עַד שֶׁמִּתְלַבֶּשֶׁת בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה הַגַּשְׁמִי בְּ״בָנֵי חַיֵּי וּמְזוֹנֵי״ כו׳.

2This means: “the fruits” refers to the effluence effusing from the Source of compassion and Fountainhead of life,⁴ blessed is He. It issues netherward, in the mode of the evolution of the worlds from above downward…, until it vests itself in this world in children, life, and sustenance….⁵

גוְ״הַקֶּרֶן״ הוּא כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: ״רְחָבָה מִצְוָתְךָ מְאֹד״, וַהֲוָה־לֵיהּ־לְמֵימַר ״מִצְוֹתֶיךָ״ לְשׁוֹן רַבִּים (וְגַם לְשׁוֹן ״רְחָבָה״ אֵינוֹ מוּבָן):

3The “principal” is, as it is written: “Mitzvatecha (Your commandment) is very wide.”⁶ Now it should say mitzvotecha—in plural form!⁷ (⁸The phraseology of “is wide” is also not comprehensible.)

דאֶלָּא: ״מִצְוָתְךָ״ דַיְיקָא, הִיא מִצְוַת הַצְּדָקָה, שֶׁהִיא מִצְוַת ה׳ מַמָּשׁ, מַה שֶּׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא בִּכְבוֹדוֹ וּבְעַצְמוֹ עוֹשֶׂה תָּמִיד לְהַחֲיוֹת הָעוֹלָמוֹת, וְיַעֲשֶׂה לֶעָתִיד בְּיֶתֶר שְׂאֵת וָעֹז, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: ״וְשָׁמְרוּ דֶּרֶךְ ה׳ לַעֲשׂוֹת צְדָקָה כוּ׳״, כְּמוֹ דֶּרֶךְ שֶׁהוֹלְכִים בָּהּ מֵעִיר לְעִיר, עַל דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל, כָּךְ הַצְּדָקָה הִיא בְּחִינַת גִּילּוּי וְהֶאָרַת אוֹר־אֵין־סוֹף בָּרוּךְ־הוּא ״סוֹבֵב כָּל עָלְמִין״, שֶׁיָּאִיר וְיִתְגַּלֶּה עַד עוֹלָם הַזֶּה, בְּ״אִתְעָרוּתָא דִלְתַתָּא״, בְּתוֹרַת צְדָקָה וְחֶסֶד חִנָּם, לֶעָתִיד בִּתְחִיַּית הַמֵּתִים, בְּיֶתֶר שְׂאֵת וְיֶתֶר עֹז לְאֵין קֵץ מִבְּחִינַת גִּילּוּי (הֶאָרָה) [הַהֶאָרָה] בְּגַן עֵדֶן הַתַּחְתּוֹן וְהָעֶלְיוֹן, שֶׁהֲרֵי כָּל נִשְׁמוֹת הַצַּדִּיקִים וְהַתַּנָּאִים וְהַנְּבִיאִים, שֶׁהֵם עַתָּה בְּגַן עֵדֶן הָעֶלְיוֹן בְּרוּם הַמַּעֲלוֹת, יִתְלַבְּשׁוּ בְּגוּפוֹתֵיהֶם לֶעָתִיד וְיָקוּמוּ בִּזְמַן הַתְּחִיָּיה לֵיהָנוֹת מִזִּיו הַשְּׁכִינָה.

4However, the express form of mitzvatecha refers to the precept of charity, which is truly the mitzvah of the L–rd, which the Holy One, blessed is He, Himself, in all His majesty, performs at all times by animating the worlds, and will do so in the future with exceeding uplifting and force.⁹ And thus it is written:¹⁰ “And they shall observe the way of the L–rd, to do tzedakah….”¹¹ Metaphorically speaking, like a road on which one goes from one city to another,¹² so, too, charity is a capacity for a manifestation and radiation of the light of the En Sof, blessed is He, which encompasses all worlds,¹³ so that in the future, at the Resurrection of the Dead, it will radiate, and become manifest, even to this world, through the arousal from below as an expression of charity and gratuitous kindness, [with an uplifting and force infinitely exceeding the state of manifestation of the radiation in the upper and lower Gardens of Eden]. For in the future all the souls of the tzaddikim, and of the Tannaim and the prophets that are now in the Higher Garden of Eden, at the peak of levels, will become vested in their bodies, and they will arise at the time of the resurrection to derive pleasure from the splendor of the Shechinah.

הלְפִי שֶׁהַהֶאָרָה וְהַגִּילּוּי שֶׁבְּגַן עֵדֶן הִיא בְּחִינַת ״מְמַלֵּא כָּל עָלְמִין״, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת הִשְׁתַּלְשְׁלוּת מִמַּדְרֵגָה לְמַדְרֵגָה עַל־יְדֵי צִמְצוּמִים עֲצוּמִים, וּכְמַאֲמַר רַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה: ״בְּיוּ״ד נִבְרָא עוֹלָם־הַבָּא״, וְהִיא בְּחִינַת חָכְמָה עִילָּאָה, הַנִּקְרֵאת ״עֵדֶן הָעֶלְיוֹן״, הַמִּשְׁתַּלְשֶׁלֶת וּמִתְלַבֶּשֶׁת בְּכָל הָעוֹלָמוֹת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: ״כּוּלָּם בְּחָכְמָה עָשִׂיתָ כוּ׳״, וְ״הַחָכְמָה תְּחַיֶּה כוּ׳״, וּבְגַן עֵדֶן, הִיא בִּבְחִינַת גִּילּוּי הַהַשָּׂגָה לְכָל חַד לְפוּם שִׁיעוּרָא דִילֵיהּ, כַּנּוֹדָע, שֶׁעוֹנֶג הַנְּשָׁמוֹת בְּגַן עֵדֶן הוּא מֵהַשָּׂגַת סוֹדוֹת הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁעָסַק בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה בַּנִּגְלֶה, כִּדְאִיתָא בַּזּוֹהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ פָּרָשַׁת שְׁלַח, וּבַגְּמָרָא, בְּעוּבְדָא דְרַבָּה בַּר נַחְמָנִי.

5That is, the manifestation and the radiation as it is in the Garden of Eden is of the level of memalei kol almin.¹⁴ This is a level of the evolution from one rung to another by means of immense contractions,¹⁵ and as the saying of our Sages, of blessed memory: “The World to Come was created by the yud”¹⁶—the sphere of the supreme chochmah,¹⁷ referred to as the upper Eden,¹⁸ and evolving and vesting itself in all the worlds, as it is written: “You have made them all with chochmah…”¹⁹ and “chochmah animates….”²⁰ In the Garden of Eden (the sphere of chochmah) is in a state of manifest apprehension to each according to his measure.²¹ For as known, the delight of the souls in the Garden of Eden derives from the apprehension of the secrets of the Torah with which one busied oneself in this world with the revealed (parts of Torah) [as mentioned in the sacred Zohar, section Shelach,²² and in the Gemara²³ with reference to the occurrence with Rabbah bar Nachmeni].

ואֲבָל גִּילּוּי הַהֶאָרָה שֶׁבִּתְחִיַּית הַמֵּתִים, יִהְיֶה מִבְּחִינַת ״סוֹבֵב כָּל עָלְמִין״, שֶׁאֵינָהּ בִּבְחִינַת צִמְצוּם וְשִׁיעוּר וּגְבוּל, אֶלָא בְּלִי גְבוּל וְתַכְלִית, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר בְּ״לִקּוּטֵי אֲמָרִים״ פֶּרֶק מ״ח בֵּיאוּר עִנְיַן ״סוֹבֵב כָּל עָלְמִין״, שֶׁאֵינוֹ כְּמַשְׁמָעוֹ כְּמוֹ עִיגּוּל, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, אֶלָּא שֶׁאֵינוֹ בִּבְחִינַת הִתְלַבְּשׁוּת וְכוּ׳, וְעַיֵּין שָׁם הֵיטֵב.

6The manifestation of the radiation at the time of the resurrection, however, will be from the level of sovev kol almin,²⁴ which is not in a state of contraction (tzimtzum), measure, and limit, but without limit and end [as the concept of sovev kol almin has been explained in Likkutei Amarim, ch. 48, not to be in its literal sense—like a circle, Heaven forfend, but only that it is not in a state of investment…, note there carefully].

ז וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה: ״וְעַטְרוֹתֵיהֶם בְּרָאשֵׁיהֶם וְנֶהֱנִין כוּ׳״, ״עֲטָרָה״ הִיא בְּחִינַת מַקִּיף וְסוֹבֵב, וְנִקְרָא ״כֶּתֶר״ מִלְּשׁוֹן ״כּוֹתֶרֶת״, וְהוּא בְּחִינַת מְמוּצָּע הַמְחַבֵּר הֶאָרַת הַמַּאֲצִיל אֵין־סוֹף בָּרוּךְ־הוּא לְהַנֶּאֱצָלִים, וְלֶעָתִיד יָאִיר וְיִתְגַּלֶּה בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה לְכָל הַצַּדִּיקִים שֶׁיָּקוּמוּ בַּתְּחִיָּיה (״וְעַמֵּךְ כּוּלָּם צַדִּיקִים כוּ׳״).

7And this is the meaning of what our Sages, of blessed memory, said: “And their crowns on their heads, and they take delight….”²⁵ A crown (atarah) is something that encompasses and encircles and is called keter ²⁶ [an idiom of koteret²⁷]. It is the aspect of the intermediary which joins the radiation of the Emanator, the En Sof, blessed is He, to the emanated,²⁸ and in the future it will radiate and become revealed in this world²⁹ to all the righteous who will rise with the resurrection (³⁰ “And Your people, they are all righteous…”³¹).

חוְזֶה שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה: ״עֲתִידִים צַדִּיקִים שֶׁיֹּאמְרוּ לִפְנֵיהֶם קָדוֹשׁ״, כִּי ״קָדוֹשׁ״ הוּא בְּחִינַת מוּבְדָּל, שֶׁאֵינוֹ בְּגֶדֶר הַשָּׂגָה וָדַעַת, כִּי הוּא לְמַעְלָה מַּעְלָה מִבְּחִינַת הַחָכְמָה וָדַעַת שֶׁבְּגַן עֵדֶן, כִּי ״הַחָכְמָה מֵאַיִן תִּמָּצֵא״ כְּתִיב, הוּא בְּחִינַת ״כֶּתֶר עֶלְיוֹן״ הַנִּקְרָא ״אַיִן״ בַּזּוֹהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ, וְהַשְׁפָּעָתוֹ וְהֶאָרָתוֹ בִּבְחִינַת גִּילּוּי – הוּא דַוְקָא כְּשֶׁהַנְּשָׁמָה תִּתְלַבֵּשׁ בְּגוּף זַךְ וְצַח אַחַר הַתְּחִיָּה, כִּי ״נָעוּץ תְּחִלָּתָן בְּסוֹפָן״ דַּוְקָא, וְ״סוֹף מַעֲשֶׂה בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה תְּחִלָּה כוּ׳״, כַּנּוֹדָע.

8And this is the meaning of what our Sages, of blessed memory, said: “In the future the righteous will be addressed as holy.”³² Holy is a rank of being separated;³³ it is not subject to apprehension and knowledge, because it transcends the rank of the wisdom and knowledge which there is in the Garden of Eden.³⁴ Thus Scripture states: “Chochmah shall be found from ayin”³⁵—i.e., (from) the rank of the supreme keter³⁶ which, in the sacred Zohar,³⁷ is called ayin;³⁸ its effluence and radiation are in a state of manifestation only when [after the resurrection] the soul is vested in a pure and clear body. For “Their beginning is wedged—expressly—in their end,”³⁹ and “The result of the act is first in thought…,”⁴⁰ as known.

טאַךְ אִי אֶפְשָׁר לְהַגִּיעַ לְמַדְרֵגָה זוֹ, עַד שֶׁיְּהֵא בְּגַן עֵדֶן תְּחִלָּה, לְהַשִּׂיג בְּחִינַת חָכְמָה עִילָּאָה (כוּ׳) [אפשר צריך להיות: כָּל חַד] כְּפוּם שִׁיעוּרָא דִילֵיהּ, וְ״טַל תּוֹרָה מְחַיֵּיהוּ״, ״וַהֲקִיצוֹתָ הִיא תְשִׂיחֶךָ כוּ׳״, וְדַי לַמֵּבִין.

9But it is impossible to reach this level until one has been first in the Garden of Eden, to apprehend the aspect of the supreme chochmah⁴¹ according to his measure, and “the dew of Torah revives him”⁴²—“And when you will awaken⁴³ it⁴⁴ will speak for you…,”⁴⁵ and suffice it for the initiated.

י וְזֶהוּ ״רְחָבָה מִצְוָתְךָ מְאֹד״, הִיא מִצְוַת הַצְּדָקָה, שֶׁהִיא כְּלִי וְשֶׁטַח רָחָב מְאֹד, לְהִתְלַבֵּשׁ בָּהּ הֶאָרַת אוֹר־אֵין־סוֹף בָּרוּךְ־הוּא (וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: ״לְבוּשׁוֹ צְדָקָה״), אֲשֶׁר יָאִיר לֶעָתִיד בִּבְחִינַת בְּלִי גְבוּל וְתַכְלִית בְּחֶסֶד חִנָּם בְּ״אִתְעָרוּתָא דִלְתַתָּא״ זוֹ, הַנִּקְרֵאת ״דֶּרֶךְ ה׳״. וְזֶהוּ לְשׁוֹן ״מְאֹד״, שֶׁהוּא בְּלִי גְבוּל וְתַכְלִית.

10And this is the meaning of “mitzvatecha is very wide,” i.e., the precept of charity, which is a vessel and a very wide area in which the radiation from the light of the En Sof, blessed is He, is invested (⁴⁶and as it is written: His garment is tzedakah⁴⁷) which in the future will radiate without limit and end, because of the gratuitous kindness in the arousal from below, called “the way of the L–rd.” And that is the meaning of the phraseology “very (wide),” because it is without limit and end.⁴⁸

יאאֲבָל ״לְכָל תִּכְלָה רָאִיתִי קֵץ״, ״תִּכְלָה״ הִיא מִלְּשׁוֹן ״כְּלוֹת הַנֶּפֶשׁ״ שֶׁבְּגַן עֵדֶן, שֶׁהִיא בִּבְחִינַת ״קֵץ״ וְתַכְלִית וְצִמְצוּם כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל, וּ״לְכָל תִּכְלָה״ הוּא לְפִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה מַעֲלוֹת וּמַדְרֵגוֹת גַּן עֵדֶן זֶה לְמַעְלָה מִזֶּה עַד רוּם הַמַּעֲלוֹת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בְּלִקּוּטֵי הַשַּׁ״ס מֵהָאֲרִיזַ״ל בְּפֵירוּשׁ מַאֲמַר רַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה: ״תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים אֵין לָהֶם מְנוּחָה כוּ׳״, שֶׁעוֹלִים תָּמִיד מִמַּדְרֵגָה לְמַדְרֵגָה בְּהַשָּׂגַת הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁאֵין לָהּ סוֹף כוּ׳, עַד אַחַר הַתְּחִיָּה שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לָהֶם מְנוּחָה כוּ׳:

11But “To every tichlah I have seen an end”:⁴⁹ tichlah is an idiom of kalot hanefesh, the yearning of the soul in the Garden of Eden, for there it is in a mode of end, limit, and contraction, as mentioned above. And (the reason it says) “to every tichlah” is because there are numerous levels and rungs of Gan Eden, one higher than the other, to the topmost of levels,⁵⁰ as mentioned in Likkutei Hashass by the Arizal,⁵¹ in explanation of the saying of our Sages, of blessed memory: “Scholars (of Torah) have no rest…,”⁵² because they rise constantly—from level to level—in the apprehension of the Torah, which had no end…, until after the resurrection, when they will have rest….

Kehot Publication Society · CC BY-NC · sefaria.org

Kehot Publication Society · CC BY-NC · sefaria.org