יט מנחם אב - אגרת הקודש פרק ו

The Alter Rebbe begins this letter by quoting a verse from Mishlei: זורע צדקה שכר אמת—one who sows charity, the reward is truth. This is from Mishlei, chapter 11. The idea here is that when a person gives tzedakah, when he sows acts of charity, the reward he receives is called emes—truth.

This is a unique expression. Usually, we think of reward for a mitzvah as something tangible or as a direct result, but here the verse says that the reward for giving tzedakah is truth. The Alter Rebbe is going to explore what this means: what is this truth that is the reward for sowing tzedakah?

The Alter Rebbe explains: what does it mean that the reward for sowing tzedakah is מדת אמת—the measure of truth? It means that by giving tzedakah, a person earns or receives the quality of truth from Above.

This is not just about being truthful in your own actions, but rather, the reward is that Hashem grants you a special level called emes. It's not simply that you acted with truth, but that you are given a connection to the Divine attribute of truth itself. This is a much higher level than what a person can achieve on his own.

To support this, the Alter Rebbe brings another verse: תתן אמת ליעקב—You give truth to Yaakov. This is a phrase we say in davening, and it means that Hashem gives the attribute of truth specifically to Yaakov.

The point here is that emes is something that Hashem bestows. It's not just a human achievement, but a Divine gift. The Alter Rebbe is going to explain what it means that Hashem gives truth to Yaakov, and why this is significant in the context of tzedakah and Divine mercy.

The Alter Rebbe continues by referencing the Zohar, which says that this phrase—תתן אמת ליעקב—is part of the praise of Hashem that is arranged by the Navi, the prophet. In other words, the Navi is describing Hashem's greatness by saying that He gives truth to Yaakov.

This is not just a statement about Yaakov, but a description of Hashem's unique quality: that He is the source of truth, and He bestows this truth upon Yaakov. The Zohar emphasizes that this is a special praise of Hashem, highlighting His role as the giver of emes.

Here, the Alter Rebbe clarifies: what does it mean that Hashem gives the attribute of truth to Yaakov? It means that Hashem Himself is the one who grants the measure of truth to Yaakov. It's not something that Yaakov possesses on his own, but rather, it is a Divine gift.

This is a crucial point: the true level of emes—truth—is something that comes from Above. Even someone as great as Yaakov only receives it because Hashem gives it to him. This sets the stage for understanding how our own acts of tzedakah can draw down a level of truth from Hashem that is far beyond what we could achieve through our own efforts.

At this point, the Alter Rebbe raises a question: If Hashem gives truth to Yaakov, does that mean that Yaakov himself lacks truth, G‑d forbid, until Hashem gives it to him? Is Yaakov missing something essential that only Hashem can provide?

This question highlights the depth of the teaching. The Alter Rebbe is challenging us to think: what is this truth that even Yaakov, the embodiment of the attribute of mercy, needs to receive from Above? Why isn't his own level of truth sufficient? The answer will reveal the unique nature of Divine truth as compared to human truth.

The Alter Rebbe now explains that it is well known that the attribute of Yaakov is מדת רחמנות—the measure of mercy or compassion. In the framework of the Avos, Avraham represents chesed—kindness, Yitzchak represents gevurah—strength or discipline, and Yaakov represents rachmanus—mercy.

This means that Yaakov's unique spiritual quality is to feel and express compassion. It's not just about being kind or strict, but about recognizing another's shortcomings and still feeling pity for them. This is the essence of Yaakov's service of Hashem: to serve with a sense of mercy, especially on one's own soul.

The Alter Rebbe elaborates on what it means to serve Hashem with the attribute of mercy. עבודת ה' במדת רחמנות—serving G‑d with mercy—means arousing a deep sense of compassion in one's heart for the G‑dly spark within the soul.

This compassion is awakened when a person reflects on how distant his soul is from the light of Hashem's presence. When a person is caught up in the darkness and vanities of the world, his soul is far from its true source. Recognizing this distance, and feeling genuine pity for the soul's state, is what it means to serve Hashem with rachmanus.

The Alter Rebbe is teaching that before we can hope for Hashem's mercy, we must first feel mercy on our own soul. This inner awakening is the beginning of a process that ultimately draws down Hashem's true compassion and truth from Above.

The arousal of mercy—that feeling of רחמנות—pity or compassion, comes specifically from understanding and knowledge of the greatness of Hashem. In other words, if a person wants to truly feel pity on his soul, to awaken that sense of Rachmanos, it doesn't just happen on its own. It requires contemplation and deep reflection.

The Alter Rebbe is teaching us that when you think about how great Hashem is, and you realize your own distance from that greatness, that's what stirs up this feeling of mercy. It's not just an emotional reaction; it's something that is born from hisbonenus—reflection and meditation—on the vastness and loftiness of Hashem.

This is the beginning of the process: to awaken true Rachmanos on your own soul, you need to first understand what it means to be distant from Hashem, and that comes through contemplating His greatness.

What does this contemplation involve? The Alter Rebbe says to reflect on how even the highest worlds—the עולמות העליונים—the supernal, spiritual realms, all the way up, endlessly, are considered as כלא ממש חשיבי קמיה—literally nothing before Him.

In other words, no matter how exalted or infinite these spiritual worlds may seem to us, in comparison to Hashem, they are absolutely insignificant. They are like nothing at all. This is a key point: even the most sublime spiritual realities are, in truth, nullified before Hashem's essence.

By meditating on this, a person begins to sense how far removed even the greatest creations are from Hashem, and how much more so our own soul, which is clothed in a physical body and engaged in worldly matters. This deepens the feeling of Rachmanos on the soul.

Why are all these worlds considered as nothing? Because, as the Alter Rebbe explains, all their vitality and existence—שפעם וחיותם—comes only from a mere ray and a glimmer—a זיו והארה—from just one letter of Hashem's Name.

This means that the entire life-force and energy that sustains all the worlds, even the highest, is not from Hashem's essence, but only from a tiny, external aspect—a single letter, so to speak, of His holy Name. It's not even the full Name, just a single letter, and even that is only a ray, not the essence.

This idea was discussed earlier in Tanya, and the Alter Rebbe is emphasizing it here: the vastness of creation is, in truth, sustained by something so minimal relative to Hashem Himself, which further highlights how distant and insignificant all of creation is compared to the Creator.

The Alter Rebbe brings a saying of our Sages: ביו"ד נברא עוה"ב—"With the letter Yud, the World to Come was created." This means that the entire Olam Haba—the spiritual worlds, Gan Eden, all the upper realms—are all brought into existence through just the letter Yud of Hashem's Name.

This teaching illustrates the same point: even the highest, most spiritual realities are only a product of a single letter, a mere glimmer from Hashem, not His essence. The worlds are so far removed from the true Divine reality that their entire existence is rooted in something as small as a single letter.

Now, when we talk about this זיו והארה—this ray and glimmer, which is the extension of vitality from Hashem's Name to enliven both upper and lower worlds—here, there is a distinction between the upper and lower realms.

In other words, within this level of Divine energy, there are differences: the upper worlds receive a different kind of vitality than the lower worlds. This is all within the realm of the emanation from Hashem's Name, not His essence, and it's here that the various gradations and distinctions between spiritual and physical realities are found.

This distinction is a result of the way the Divine energy is drawn down and manifests differently in each world, according to its level.

For example, עולם הזה נברא בה'—"This world was created with the letter Hei." Just as the upper worlds are created with the Yud, our physical world is created with the Hei of Hashem's Name.

This further demonstrates the difference between the upper and lower worlds: each is brought into being through a different letter, a different aspect of the Divine Name, and thus receives a different kind of vitality and spiritual energy.

Furthermore, all the differences and details—the שינויי הפרטים—within each world, whether it's the angels, the chambers, or any created being, all of these distinctions come about according to the שינויי צירופי האותיות—the different combinations of the letters.

This means that the specific way the Divine energy is expressed and manifests in each creation is determined by the particular combinations of the Hebrew letters, which are the channels through which Hashem's vitality flows into the world. The 22 letters, in their various permutations, are what give rise to the multitude of forms and beings in creation.

Not only do the combinations of letters determine the differences between beings, but also all the changes of time—past, present, and future—and all the events and occurrences that happen as time passes, הכל משינויי צירופי האותיות—all of it comes from the changes in the combinations of the letters.

These letters are the channels for the flow of vitality from Hashem's attributes. Every change in creation, whether in space, time, or circumstance, is rooted in a new combination of these Divine letters, which draw down life-force from Hashem's attributes into the world.

This is the mechanism by which Hashem's energy is constantly renewing and shaping all of existence, both in its details and in the unfolding of time itself.

However, when it comes to מהותו ועצמותו יתברך—the essence and being of Hashem Himself—the Torah says, אני ה' לא שניתי—"I, Hashem, have not changed."

This is a fundamental point: all the changes and differences we see in the world, all the distinctions between higher and lower, spiritual and physical, are only in the way Hashem's light is revealed and expressed. But in Hashem's own essence, there is absolutely no change at all. The Alter Rebbe is emphasizing that no matter what happens in creation, Hashem Himself remains completely unchanged and unaffected.

This is the meaning of the verse: Hashem's essence is beyond all the differences and changes that exist in the world. No matter what level, no matter what time, Hashem Himself is always the same—utterly above and beyond all change.

This applies both in terms of שינויי ההשתלשלות—the changes and differences that exist in the chain of spiritual worlds, from the highest levels down to the very lowest.

The Alter Rebbe is teaching that even though there are countless levels in creation, from the most sublime spiritual realms all the way down to our physical world, all these gradations and differences are only in the way Hashem's light is revealed. In Hashem's essence, there is no difference at all between the highest and the lowest.

So, whether we are talking about the most elevated spiritual worlds or the lowest, most physical levels, all of them are equally insignificant compared to Hashem's essence. The entire process of השתלשלות—the descent and evolution of worlds—does not affect or change Hashem Himself in any way.

Just as Hashem is found in the highest spiritual realms, so too He is found, in exactly the same way, in the lowest physical worlds.

This is a very powerful idea: Hashem's presence is not more in the upper worlds and less in the lower. In His essence, Hashem is equally present everywhere. There is no difference at all between the upper and lower worlds when it comes to Hashem Himself.

The Alter Rebbe is stressing that all the distinctions we make—higher, lower, spiritual, physical—are only from our perspective. In truth, Hashem's essence fills all worlds equally, without any change or difference.

This is true not only regarding the differences between higher and lower worlds, but also regarding שינויי הזמן—the changes of time.

Just as Hashem is above all distinctions in space and level, He is also completely beyond all changes in time—past, present, and future. Time makes no difference to Hashem's essence; He is utterly above and beyond it.

So, whether it is a question of different places or different times, Hashem Himself remains unchanged and unaffected. All the changes we experience are only in creation, not in Hashem.

Just as Hashem was alone—singular and unique—before the six days of creation, so too He is exactly the same now, after the world has been created.

This means that creation did not bring about any change in Hashem Himself. Before the world existed, Hashem was the only true existence. Now, even after all of creation, Hashem remains the same—utterly alone and unique in His essence.

The Alter Rebbe is teaching us that the existence of the world does not add anything to Hashem, nor does it affect Him in any way. Hashem's unity and uniqueness are absolute, both before and after creation.

And the reason for this is because הכל כאין ואפס ממש לגבי מהותו ועצמותו—everything is truly like nothing and absolutely insignificant compared to Hashem's essence and being.

This is the foundation of the whole discussion: all of creation, no matter how great or how vast, is as nothing before Hashem Himself. The worlds, the spiritual realms, even the highest angels—all are completely nullified in the presence of Hashem's essence.

Therefore, nothing that happens in creation can affect or change Hashem in any way. He remains utterly beyond and above all, unchanged and unaffected by anything in the worlds.

To help us understand just how insignificant the worlds are in comparison to Hashem Himself, the Alter Rebbe gives us an analogy. He says, imagine אות אחד מדבורו של אדם—a single letter from a person's speech, or even from his thought. Now, consider how that one letter relates to the entire essence and being of the person's intellectual soul.

Think about it: a person can speak endlessly, can think countless thoughts, and yet, any one letter or thought is just a tiny, almost negligible expression of his soul's capacity. The soul itself is so much greater, so much more profound, than any single letter or thought it produces. This is just to give us a sense, a way to "quiet the ear"—לשכך את האזן—to help us begin to grasp the vast distance between creation and the Creator.

So too, all of creation, even the highest spiritual worlds, are like a single letter or thought compared to the infinite essence of Hashem. This analogy is meant to awaken within us a sense of awe and humility, realizing how utterly beyond all worlds Hashem truly is.

The Alter Rebbe now emphasizes that, in truth, there is absolutely no comparison between Hashem and anything else. He quotes the verse, אין ערוך אליך—"There is no comparison to You."

This means that nothing in creation, not even the loftiest spiritual worlds, can be compared to Hashem in any way. There is no relationship, no connection, no proportion between the Creator and the created. Hashem is utterly beyond and incomparable to anything that exists.

To support this idea, the Alter Rebbe references what is written elsewhere—in Likutei Amarim, Part II, Chapter 9. He points us to look there for a deeper discussion of this concept, where it is explained at length.

The Alter Rebbe continues by bringing a phrase we say in our prayers: המלך המרומם לבדו מאז—"The King who is exalted alone from then."

This phrase expresses the idea that Hashem has always been exalted and alone, even before creation. He was, is, and remains utterly transcendent, unaffected by anything that comes into being.

He explains the meaning of this phrase: just as Hashem was alone before creation—מאז—"from then," so too, even now, after the worlds have been created, He remains alone and exalted. Nothing has changed in His essence.

In other words, Hashem is still מרומם כו' ומתנשא מימות עולם—exalted and uplifted from the days of the world. Creation did not add or change anything in Him. He is as alone and transcendent now as He was before anything existed.

The Alter Rebbe clarifies further: this means that Hashem is רם ונשא למעלה מעלה מבחינת זמן—He is raised and exalted far above the concept of time itself, which is called ימות עולם—"the days of the world."

Time, with all its past, present, and future, is itself a creation. Hashem is completely beyond it, unaffected by any of its limitations or changes. He is utterly transcendent, above all the boundaries of time.

Why is Hashem so utterly beyond time? Because the entire vitality of all the ימות עולם—the days of the world, meaning all of time and creation—comes only from the level of המלך—the King, which refers to the attribute of Malchus, as explained elsewhere.

All of creation, all of time, is only a ray, a limited expression from Hashem's attribute of Malchus. It is not His essence at all. This is something the Alter Rebbe has discussed in other places, and he references those discussions here.

And therefore, when a person reflects on all of this, he realizes that the pity—rachmanus—on the godly spark within him is truly immense. The spark of Hashem is found within the body, which is described as חשוך והאפל—dark and gloomy, like the משכא דחויא—the skin of a serpent.

This body is susceptible to impurity and can become sullied with all sorts of desires and temptations, G‑d forbid. The soul, which is a literal spark of G‑dliness, is trapped in this physical, coarse body, exposed to all the challenges and pitfalls of the material world.

This is the true rachmanus—the real pity we must feel for our souls. Only with Hashem's help and protection can a person withstand these challenges and remain pure. This reflection is meant to arouse within us a deep sense of compassion for our own souls, motivating us to seek Hashem's mercy and to strive for spiritual elevation.

The Alter Rebbe explains that when a person reflects on the state of his soul—how the ניצוץ אלוקות—the spark of G‑dliness within him—is trapped in the darkness and coarseness of the body, it arouses a tremendous sense of pity and mercy on his soul. The soul is so far from its source, from the light of Hashem's countenance, and is surrounded by the distractions and desires of this world. This is a true רחמנות—a real pity—on the soul's predicament.

However, the Alter Rebbe points out that even with all this reflection and arousal of mercy, a person must recognize that he cannot overcome the body and its desires on his own. The body is described as being like the עור הנחש—the skin of the serpent—which is capable of receiving impurity and being drawn after all sorts of worldly desires. The soul, on its own, would not be able to withstand these challenges.

Therefore, the Alter Rebbe says, it is only לולי שהקב"ה מגן לו, ונותן לו עוז ותעצומות, ללחום עם הגוף ותאותיו ולנצחן—if not for the fact that the Holy One, blessed be He, protects him and gives him strength and fortitude to battle with the body and its desires and to overcome them. In other words, the ability to fight and be victorious over the body's urges is not something a person can achieve by himself; it is a gift and assistance from Hashem.

This realization is meant to humble a person. Even after all his efforts and all his contemplation, he must know that his success in spiritual matters is only because Hashem gives him the power and the protection to succeed. This brings a person to a deeper sense of humility and dependence on Hashem, recognizing that without divine help, he would not be able to withstand the challenges of the physical world.

The Alter Rebbe brings a verse to support this idea: אדון עוזנו כו' מגן ישענו כו'—the Master of our strength, the Shield of our salvation. This phrase expresses how Hashem is both the source of our strength and our protector.

By quoting this verse, the Alter Rebbe emphasizes that all the strength a person has to overcome his struggles comes directly from Hashem. He is the Adon Ozenu—the Master of our strength—meaning that any spiritual might or courage we have is not our own, but is granted to us from above. And He is also the Magen Yisheinu—the Shield of our salvation—protecting us from falling into the traps of the עור הנחש and the desires of the body.

This verse is meant to inspire a sense of gratitude and reliance on Hashem. When a person realizes that his victories in spiritual matters are only possible because Hashem is strengthening and shielding him, it leads to a deeper connection and a more genuine service of Hashem, filled with humility and appreciation for the divine assistance he receives.