But what causes the descent to this physical world of the light and abundance from [a source as lofty as] the Ten Sefirot [of the World of Atzilut], which are referred to as the Body?

It is the above-mentioned union [of the Holy One, blessed be He, and His Shechinah - [the infinite degree of radiation permeating the Sefirot and the subsequent worlds - and this union is brought about by the performance of the mitzvot;] for it is an additional radiation and effluence from the light of the Ein Sof, the Supreme Emanator [of the Ten Sefirot], in a measure exceeding the radiation and effluence at the beginning of the emanation in the World of Atzilut and subsequent evolution...

[Inasmuch as the additional measure of infinite radiation and effluence far transcends Atzilut - so much so, that in comparison to it the World of Atzilut and our grossly corporeal World of Asiyah are equally distant - it enables the radiation of Atzilut to find its way into this world.]

And the additional radiation and effluence is first bestowed upon [the Sefirah of Chochmah, which is] the first of the Ten Sefirot. This is the meaning of [the above-quoted phrase], ..." and a helmet of salvation (Yeshuah) upon his head." For Yeshuah shares a root with Vayisha, [which is the verb in the phrase, [18]] "And G-d turned toward Abel and his gift."

[The word Yeshuah thus means - turning toward - and (by extension) "drawing down."] This alludes to the drawing down of the light and abundance of the shin-ayin nehorin, the "three hundred and seventy lights" spoken of in the holy Zohar. [19]

[This light is much loftier than the Ten Sefirot of Atzilut: The letter shin, whose numerical value is 300, alludes to the three intellectual faculties of ChaBaD insofar as they exist at the spiritual level termed "hundreds"; the letter ayin, whose numerical value is 70, hints at the seven emotive attributes, each of which incorporates ten elements. This lofty illumination - the "helmet of salvation" - is drawn down upon the "head", i.e., the beginning, of the Ten Sefirot.] As it is written, [20] "May G-d make His Face (i.e., His inner being) shine upon you" - [upon His people in this lowly world.]

[It is also written]: [21] "May He make His Face [i.e., His inner being] shine with us forever." [That which ensures that this Divine light be] "with us," is the practice of charitable deeds.

And this is the meaning of the phrase, [22] "He who sows tzedakot [`charities'] brings forth yeshuot (`salvations')" ; [i.e., the distribution of charity results in the salvation brought about by the light of the above-mentioned shin-ayin nehorin.]

So [23] may G-d make His Face shine upon you, and [24] "your tzedakah shall endure forever." [That which is revealed now as a result of an act of tzedakah is merely the "fruit"; the essence of the reward is revealed only at the Time to Come, at the time of the Revival of the Dead - and until that time it remains concealed. Only then will the light of sovev kol almin truly permeate and clothe itself within this world, as explained below in Epistle 32. May your horn [i.e., power] be exalted by the salvation (yeshuah) of the One [25] "Who causes the horn of salvation to sprout" - by a sprouting of the tzedakah [which G-d does for His people], from the "helmet of salvation" mentioned above, as [26] is the wish of one who seeks Him.

   

Notes:

18. (Back to text) Bereishit 4:4.

19. (Back to text) See Zohar I, 4b; III, 133b; et passim.

20. (Back to text) Bamidbar 6:25.

21. (Back to text) Tehillim 67:2.

22. (Back to text) Liturgy, Morning Prayers.

23. (Back to text) Here begins the Alter Rebbe's request to those who received the letter those who were to give the charity. (Note of the Rebbe Shlita.)

    In the original, the recipients of the letter are here addressed in the polite third person of classical Hebrew "upon them," "their tzedakah", and so forth.

24. (Back to text) Cf. Tehillim 112:3.

25. (Back to text) Cf. Liturgy, weekday Shemoneh Esreh.

26. (Back to text) Cf. Eichah 3:25.