We are now beginning Perek Yud, the tenth chapter of Iggeres HaKoidesh. In this letter, the Alter Rebbe addresses the mitzvah of tzedokah—charity—and the different ways it can be fulfilled. He sets the stage for a deeper understanding of the nature of kindness and the spiritual dynamics involved in giving.

The Alter Rebbe opens with a greeting of peace and life—אד"ש וחיים—and then states, פתח דברי, 'I open my words.' He expresses his hope that his words will awaken the ear that listens to תוכחת חיים—the rebuke of life. This is not just any rebuke, but a living, vital message, as he says: אשר הוכיח ה' חיים, ע"י נביאו ואמר—that the living G‑d has rebuked through His prophet and said.

The Alter Rebbe is emphasizing that what follows is not merely his own advice, but a message rooted in the words of the living G‑d, conveyed through the prophets. He wants the reader to approach these words with an open heart and a readiness to be moved and inspired by a message of true spiritual life.

The Alter Rebbe quotes the verse: חסדי ה' כי לא תמנו וגו'—'The kindnesses of Hashem have not ended.' He points out that, at first glance, the verse seems to say that Hashem's kindness never ceases, that it is ongoing and never depleted, even in times of difficulty.

However, he notes a subtlety in the wording. The verse says כי לא תמנו, which literally means 'because we have not been finished' or 'because we are not whole.' The more common phrase would be כי לא תמו, referring to the kindnesses themselves not ending, as in the verse כי לא תמו חסדיך וגו'—'for Your kindnesses have not ended.' The Alter Rebbe asks: Why does the verse here use the form כי לא תמנו?

This question sets up the deeper explanation that follows, focusing on the relationship between our own spiritual state and the flow of Hashem's kindness.

To understand this, the Alter Rebbe brings a teaching from the Zohar: אית חסד ואית חסד. אית חסד עולם כו' ואית חסד עילאה, דהוא רב חסד כו'—'There is chesed and there is chesed. There is chesed olam, kindness of the world, and there is a higher chesed, which is called rav chesed, abundant kindness.'

He explains that there are two levels of kindness. One is the regular, worldly kindness—חסד עולם—which is a limited form of giving. The other is חסד עילאה, the supreme or supernal kindness, which is called rav chesed—a kindness that is without limit, infinite and boundless.

This distinction is crucial for understanding the verse and the deeper message about the nature of Hashem's kindness and how we are meant to emulate it.

The Alter Rebbe now explains that it is well known—כי הנה מודעת—that the Torah is called עוז, meaning 'strength.' This is a term associated with גבורה—restraint or limitation.

He cites the teaching of our sages: תרי"ג מצות נאמרו למשה מסיני מפי הגבורה—'The 613 commandments were given to Moshe at Sinai from the mouth of Gevurah.' Here, גבורה refers to Hashem, who is called the Mighty One, but it also hints at the aspect of limitation and discipline within Torah.

The verse מימינו אש דת למו—'From His right hand, a fiery law to them'—is also brought. The right hand represents kindness, but the Torah is described as a fiery law, indicating that even as it is given with kindness, it is clothed in fire, in gevurah, in boundaries and limitations.

Now, the Alter Rebbe clarifies that the source and root of Torah is only חסדי ה'—the kindnesses of Hashem—which are referred to as ימין—the right side, the side of kindness.

This means that Torah is essentially a hamshocha—a drawing down—of Hashem's godliness and a ray of the infinite light of the Ein Sof into the worlds, both upper and lower. The Torah is a channel through which Hashem's light and kindness are brought into creation.

So, while Torah is ultimately rooted in kindness and giving, it is expressed in this world through the framework of limitation and discipline, as explained earlier.

How does this drawing down of Hashem's light happen? The Alter Rebbe explains that it is through the person who draws the light upon himself by fulfilling the 248 positive commandments—רמ"ח מ"ע—which are called the 248 limbs of the King.

He elaborates that these 248 mitzvos are like vessels and garments—רמ"ח כלים ולבושים—for the light of the Ein Sof, which is clothed within them. Just as a physical limb is a vessel for the soul's power (for example, the eye is the vessel for the power of sight), so too, each mitzvah is a vessel for a specific divine light.

When a person performs a mitzvah, he creates a vessel to receive a particular aspect of Hashem's light. This is how the infinite light of Hashem becomes manifest and accessible within the world, through the concrete actions of mitzvos.

The Alter Rebbe adds that from this divine light, a person draws down love and awe of Hashem—ahavah and yirah—with every mitzvah, as is known. Each mitzvah not only brings down a specific light, but also inspires and nurtures these essential emotions in the service of Hashem.

The hamshokha—the drawing down of G‑dly light through mitzvos—does not come directly in its original, infinite form. Rather, this flow first becomes enclosed within the מדת גבורתו של הקב"ה—the attribute of G‑d's gevurah, which is called אש—fire. This means that the light and vitality are contracted and limited, so that they can be contained within the act of the mitzvah itself.

The reason for this is that most mitzvos involve physical objects—like tzitzis, tefillin, korbanos (offerings), and tzedokah (charity). Since these are all material things, the infinite light must undergo a tsimtsum, a contraction, so that it can be drawn down and expressed within the physical world through these mitzvos.

Even those mitzvos that are primarily spiritual—such as yirah (awe of Hashem) and ahavah (love of Hashem)—are still experienced in a limited way. They too are within the realm of בבחי' גבול ומדה—measured and bounded, not infinite.

This means that even when a person feels love or awe for Hashem, it is never truly without limit. There is always a certain measure, a boundary to how much a person can feel, because the human heart and soul are not vessels for the infinite.

If a person were to experience ahavah rabbah—an intense, boundless love for Hashem—without any end, limit, or measure, he would not be able to tolerate it. The heart simply cannot contain such an overwhelming feeling.

Not only would the person be unable to bear this love emotionally, but even physically, his body could not survive it, even for a moment. The intensity of such infinite love would cause the soul to leave the body, as it is too powerful for a human being to endure.

This idea is illustrated by what our Sages say about Matan Torah, the giving of the Torah. At that time, there was a direct revelation of G‑dliness—התגלות אלהותו ית'—and the infinite light of the אין סוף ב"ה was revealed through speech, openly.

The result was that the Jewish people's souls could not remain in their bodies; their souls literally flew out of them—parcha nishmasan. This shows that when the infinite is revealed without any contraction or limitation, it is impossible for a physical being to contain it, even for an instant.