Tanya Chapter 45
By Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi
Translation and Commentary by Rabbi Gedalia Potash and William Schecter, MD
This draft has been neither edited nor approved by Rabbi Potash
There is another straight path before man to engage in the Torah and performance of Mitzvot for its own sake (לשמה—that is, without the expectation of a reward), through the attribute of our Father Jacob, Peace be upon him. This path is the attribute of mercy which first awakens in man’s mind the great mercy of G-d for the Divine Spark which gives life to his Soul. This Soul descended from Its Source, the Eternal Living Life, blessed be He, the One who fills all the worlds and surrounds all the worlds, and yet their entire contents is insignificant compared the Greatness of G-d. The Soul is invested in the skin of a snake, far from the Light of the Face of the King (G-d) who is ultimately distant from materialism because this world represents the lowest most vulgar of the Klipot (peels or layers of materialism surrounding the G-dly Soul.
Comment: The term “Skin of a snake”, משכּה דחויא in Aramaic, refers to the materialism, often vulgar, which enclothes the G-dly Soul of man. Just like a reptile sheds its skin periodically, it is possible for man to shed the material sheath enclosing his G-dly Soul through engagement in Torah and the performance of Mitzvot.
In particular, when man recalls all his negative actions, words and thoughts from the moment of his birth, and the King is metaphorically “entwined in the long locks of a woman’s hair (Song of Songs 7:6) and rash thoughts
Comment: An expanded quotation of Song of Songs 7:6 is:
רֹאשֵׁ֤ךְ עָלַ֙יִךְ֙ כַּכַּרְמֶ֔ל וְדַלַּ֥ת רֹאשֵׁ֖ךְ כָּאַרְגָּמָ֑ן מֶ֖לֶךְ אָס֥וּר בָּרְהָטִֽים׃
The head upon you is like crimson wool, -b
The locks of your head are like purple—. A king is held captive in the tresses. -c
מַה־יָּפִית֙ וּמַה־נָּעַ֔מְתְּ אַהֲבָ֖ה בַּתַּֽעֲנוּגִֽים׃
How fair you are, how beautiful!
O Love, with all its rapture!
Because Jacob is His own allotment (or the rope of his inheritance-see Discussion below), and by example the one who pulls on the rope etc.
Comment: The expression Jacob is “His own allotment” (חבל נחלתו) is derived from Deuteronomy (32:9)
כִּ֛י חֵ֥לֶק יְהֹוָ֖ה עַמּ֑וֹ יַעֲקֹ֖ב חֶ֥בֶל נַחֲלָתֽוֹ׃
For the LORD’s portion is His people,
Jacob His own allotment. (Deuteronomy 32:9)
חבל has two meanings: a plot of land and a rope. נחלתו means his inheritance. So, a simple reading of the text indicates that the Torah is talking about Jacob’s Inheritance—possibly the Land of Israel. However, the Elter Rebbe is interpreting חבל to mean rope. How so? According to Kabbalah, the G-dly Soul in each person is connected by a rope to its Heavenly Divine Source. If one pulls on a rope from the bottom, the upper portion of the rope will be pulled down. The Elter is implying that impure thoughts and actions of man metaphorically pull on the rope connecting his Soul to its Heavenly Source and thereby disturbing G-d
And it is the secret concept “the exile of the Shechinah”. And about this it is said: “And he will return to G-d and He will have mercy upon him” (Isaiah 55:7), to awaken the great mercy for the Name of G-d Who dwells with us as it is written “He dwells with them within their impurity” (Leviticus 16:16)
Comment: According to Kabbalah, when man sins, his G-dly Soul is exiled within the material Klipot surrounding it. Therefore, the Shekinah, the Divine spirit, is exiled. When man contemplates this fact, it arouses within him a feeling of Compassion (Tiferet=beauty but may also mean compassion). Compassion is the attribute associated with Jacob. Chesed (Loving Kindness) is associated with Abraham and Gvurah (Discipline) is associated with Isaac.
And this is what is meant by the passage “And Jacob kissed Rachel, lifted his voice and wept” (Genesis 29:11). Because Rachel represents the Knesset Israel (the community of Israel), the Source of all the Souls, and Jacob has the supernal attribute, which is the attribute of Mercy (Compassion) in the World of Atzilut which awakens the Great Mercy upon it. “And he will lift up his voice above (to the Heavens), to the Source of the Supernal Mercy, which is called the Father of Mercy and is its Source.
Discussion: The Elter Rebbe is saying that Jacob’s attribute of mercy is located in the World of Atzilut, the one closest to G-d in the Kabbalistic Cosmology. But there is an even higher Source of Mercy which is the Source of all the Souls. This Supernal Source of Mercy, by implication, is the 13 Divine Attributes of Mercy. The Thirteen Divine Attributes of Mercy are enumerated in Deuteronomy 34:6-7. They are:
- יְהוָה YHVH: compassion before a person sins;
- יְהוָה YHVH: compassion after a person has sinned;
- אֵל El: mighty in compassion to give all creatures according to their need;
- רַחוּם Raḥum: merciful, that humankind may not be distressed;
- וְחַנּוּן VeḤanun: and gracious if humankind is already in distress;
- אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם Erekh appayim: slow to anger;
- וְרַב-חֶסֶד VeRav ḥesed: and plenteous in kindness;
- וֶאֱמֶת VeEmet: and truth;
- נֹצֵר חֶסֶד לָאֲלָפִים Notzer ḥesed laalafim: keeping kindness unto thousands;
- נֹשֵׂא עָוֹן Noseh avon: forgiving iniquity;
- וָפֶשַׁע VaFeshah: and transgression;
- וְחַטָּאָה VeḤata'ah: and sin;
- וְנַקֵּה VeNakeh: and pardoning.
“And will weep” to awaken and draw down from there the Great Mercy upon all of the Souls and upon the Source of the Community of Israel, to raise them up from their exile and unite them with the Supernal Unity, the Eternal Light, Blessed be He with the attribute of His kisses which is a cleavage of one spirit to another as it is written: “Kiss me with the Kisses of his Mouth” (Song of Songs 1:2) meaning the connection of the speech of man with the Word of G-d—this is Halacha (Jewish Law). Thought (of man) with Thought (of G-d), Action with Action, action being the fulfillment of the Mitzvot. In particular, the action of Charity and Loving Kindness. Loving Kindness is the Right Arm. Engagement in Torah Study, with Word and Thoughtful Study are the attributes of true kisses. And through this man can come to the attribute of Great Love in the revelation of his heart. As it is written “for Jacob who redeemed Abraham” (Isaiah 29:22)
Comment: In the previous chapters, the Elter Rebbe discussed how the Hidden Love in the heart can be revealed through Chesed and through Gvurah. Chesed being the attribute of Abraham and Gvurah being the attribute of Isaac. In this chapter, the Elter Rebbe discusses how the Love can be revealed through Mercy and Compassion, the attributes of Jacob. The three Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, are called the Merkavah, the chariot, that G-d directs. Our job on earth, according to the Elter Rebbe is to create a dwelling place for G-d on earth, transform darkness to light, the material to the spiritual and this task is aided, as shown above, by our connection to our Forefathers.
עוד יש דרך ישר לפני איש לעסוק בתורה ומצוות לשמן, על ידי מידתו של יעקב אבינו עליו השלום, שהיא מידת הרחמים, לעורר במחשבתו תחילה רחמים רבים לפני ה' על ניצוץ אלהות המחיה נפשו, אשר ירד ממקורו חיי החיים אין סוף ברוך הוא, הממלא כל עלמין וסובב כל עלמין וכולא קמיה כלא חשיב, ונתלבש במשכא דחויא הרחוק מאור פני המלך בתכלית ההרחק. כי העולם הזה הוא תכלית הקליפות הגסות כו'. ובפרט כשיזכור על כל מעשיו ודיבוריו ומחשבותיו מיום היותו אשר לא טובים המה, ומלך אסור ברהטים ברהיטי מוחא. כי יעקב חבל נחלתו, וכמשל המושך בחבל וכו', והוא סוד גלות השכינה. ועל זה נאמר: "וישוב אל ה' וירחמהו", לעורר רחמים רבים על שם ה' השוכן אתנו, כדכתיב: "השוכן אתם בתוך טומאתם".
וזהו שאמר הכתוב: "וישק יעקב לרחל וישא את קולו ויבך". כי רחל היא כנסת ישראל, מקור כל הנשמות. ויעקב במידתו העליונה, שהיא מידת הרחמים שבאצילות, הוא המעורר רחמים רבים עליה. "וישא את קולו" למעלה, למקור הרחמים העליונים, הנקרא "אב הרחמים" ומקורם. "ויבך", לעורר ולהמשיך משם רחמים רבים על כל הנשמות ועל מקור כנסת ישראל, להעלותן מגלותן ולייחדן ביחוד העליון אור אין סוף ברוך הוא, בבחינת נשיקין, שהיא אתדבקות רוחא ברוחא, כמו שכתוב: "ישקני מנשיקות פיהו", דהיינו התקשרות דבור האדם בדבר ה' זו הלכה. וכן מחשבה במחשבה, ומעשה במעשה, שהוא מעשה המצוות. ובפרט מעשה הצדקה וחסד, דחסד דרועא ימינא, הוא בחינת חיבוק ממש, כמו שכתוב "וימינו תחבקני". ועסק התורה בדיבור ומחשבת העיון הן בחינת נשיקין ממש. והנה על ידי זה יכול לבוא לבחינת אהבה רבה בהתגלות לבו, כדכתיב "ליעקב אשר פדה את אברהם", כמו שנתבאר במקום אחר.