Tanya Part 3 Chapter 12
By Rabbi Shneur Zalman of LIadi
Translation and Commentary by William Schecter, MD
February 22, 2023
And the reason for the happiness is the afflictions of the body. Because it is a great goodness for the sinful soul to be cleansed in this world and be saved from being cleansed in Gehinnom (Hell) (particularly in our generations, which lack the ability to perform the required number of fasts recommended by the Arizal to cleanse and rescue the soul from cleansing in Gehinnom.
Comment: Far better, says the Elter Rebbe, to experience suffering in this world by which the Soul is “cleansed” of sin than to experience the infinitely harsher “cleansing” in Gehinnom.
And as the Ramban (Nachmanides) wrote in his introduction to the commentary on the Book of Job, even the afflictions of Job for 70 years, have no measure compared to the afflictions of the soul for one hour in Gehinnom, because “one fire from Sixty” etc.
Comment: Here the Elter Rebbe is quoting from the Talmud Masechect Brachot 57:b where it says that the fire we experience on earth (for example, the pain from a burn) is only one sixtieth of the power (and hence the pain) of the fire in Gehinnom.
Rather, because this world is built on love, through light afflictions in this world a person will be saved from severe judgments in the world to come.
As the movement of one hand breadth of a shadow in the earth is comparable to the movement of the sphere of the sun in the heavens two thousand miles etc.
Comment: Here, the Elter Rebbe is comparing the movement of the sun a great distance which results in a small movement of the shadow on earth. He is using this metaphor to compare the light afflictions which we experience on earth which cleanse the soul compared to the great afflictions of Gehinnom.
More so, it is compared to the infinite, with the attribute of the Histalshalut (the flowing down) of the worlds from the supernal heights to this material world (in which we live). As is know from what is written in the Holy Zohar, from the ascendent of the supernal worlds by awakening from below, in the sacrifice of a dove or a pigeon on the alter or a handful of grain. The same is true for each of the positive Mitzvot as we know from the Arizal.
And this is what our Sages said about the passage “And you shall sanctify yourself and you shall be Holy” (Leviticus 20:7) “A man sanctifies himself a little below but he is greatly sanctified from above” (Masechet Yoma 39:a) (and was explained above regarding “Who sanctified us by His commandments” etc. with the attribute of surrounding all the worlds.)
Comment: The expression “Who sanctified us by His Commandments” is part of the standard blessing preceding the performance of many Mitzvot. For example: Blessed art Thou O L-rd our G-d, King of the Universe Who sanctified us by His Commandments and commanded us to light the Sabbath candle. In other words, the performance of a seemingly simple Mitzvah in our world below creates the opportunity for us to be immersed in the G-dly light surrounding all the worlds.
This is truly the issue of punishment and reward as our Sages said: “The reward of a Mitzvah is a Mitzvah” as will be explained elsewhere. And “knowledge comes easily to the wise” and “the enlightened will find good in this matter”.
וְטַעַם הַשִּׂמְחָה בְּיִסּוּרֵי הַגּוּף, לְפִי שֶׁהִיא טוֹבָה גְדוֹלָה וַעֲצוּמָה לַנֶּפֶשׁ הַחוֹטֵאת, לְמָרְקָהּ בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וּלְהַצִּילָהּ מֵהַמֵּירוּק בְּגֵּיהִנֹּם (בִּפְרָט בְּדוֹרוֹתֵינוּ אֵלֶּה, שֶׁאֵין בִּיכוֹלֶת לְהִתְעַנּוֹת כְּפִי מִסְפַּר כָּל הַצּוֹמוֹת שֶׁבְּתִיקּוּנֵי תְּשׁוּבָה מֵהָאֲרִ״י זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה, הַצְּרִיכוֹת לְמֵירוּק הַנֶּפֶשׁ לְהַצִּילָהּ מִמֵּירוּק בְּגֵּיהִנֹּם).
וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַב הָרַמְבַּ״ן זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה בַּהַקְדָּמָה לְפֵירוּשׁ אִיּוֹב, שֶׁאֲפִילוּ יִסּוּרִים שֶׁל אִיּוֹב ע׳ שָׁנָה – אֵין לָהֶן עֵרֶךְ כְּלָל לְיִסּוּרֵי הַנֶּפֶשׁ שָׁעָה אַחַת בְּגֵּיהִנֹּם, כִּי אֵשׁ אֶחָד מִשִּׁשִּׁים וְכוּ׳. אֶלָּא לְפִי שֶׁעוֹלָם הַזֶּה ״חֶסֶד יִבָּנֶה״, וּבְיִסּוּרִין קַלִּין בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה נִיצּוֹל מִדִּינִים קָשִׁים שֶׁל עוֹלָם־הַבָּא.
כִּמְשַׁל הִילּוּךְ וְהַעְתָּקַת הַצֵּל בָּאָרֶץ טֶפַח לְפִי הִילּוּךְ גַּלְגַּל הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בָּרָקִיעַ אֲלָפִים מִילִין וְכוּ׳. וְיֶתֶר עַל כֵּן לְאֵין קֵץ הוּא בַּנִּמְשָׁל, בִּבְחִינַת הִשְׁתַּלְשְׁלוּת הָעוֹלָמוֹת מֵרוּם הַמַּעֲלוֹת עַד עוֹלָם הַזֶּה הַגַּשְׁמִי. וְכַנּוֹדָע מִמַּה שֶּׁכָּתוּב בַּזּוֹהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ, מֵעִנְיַן עֲלִיּוֹת עוֹלָמוֹת הָעֶלְיוֹנִים בְּאִתְעָרוּתָא דִלְתַתָּא, בְּהַקְרָבַת עוֹף אֶחָד בֶּן יוֹנָה אוֹ תוֹר עַל גַּבֵּי הַמִּזְבֵּחַ אוֹ קוֹמֶץ מִנְחָה. וְכֵן הוּא בְּכָל הַמִּצְוֹת מַעֲשִׂיּוֹת, כַּנּוֹדָע מֵהָאֲרִיזַ״ל.
וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה עַל פָּסוּק: ״וְהִתְקַדִּשְׁתֶּם וִהְיִיתֶם קְדוֹשִׁים״ – ״אָדָם מְקַדֵּשׁ עַצְמוֹ מְעַט מִלְּמַטָּה, מְקַדְּשִׁין אוֹתוֹ הַרְבֵּה מִלְמַעְלָה וְכוּ׳״ (וּכְמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר לְעֵיל בְּעִנְיַן ״אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו״ וְכוּ׳, בְּחִינַת ״סוֹבֵב כָּל עָלְמִין״, וְכוּ׳).
וְכָכָה מַמָּשׁ הוּא בְּעִנְיַן שָׂכָר וְעוֹנֶשׁ, כְּמַאֲמַר רַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה: ״שְׂכַר מִצְוָה – מִצְוָה וְכוּ׳״, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר. וְדַעַת לְנָבוֹן נָקָל, וּמַשְׂכִּיל עַל דָּבָר יִמְצָא טוֹב: