אלול כ"ז — אגרת הקודש פרק יח

We begin Perek Yud-Ches—the eighteenth chapter of Iggeres HaKodesh. In this chapter, the Alter Rebbe opens a new discussion about the nature of love for Hashem and the different levels at which it can be experienced.

The Alter Rebbe is going to explain that there are two distinct types of love for Hashem, and that not every level is attainable through our own efforts. Some levels are a special gift from above, given only to those who are worthy.

The chapter opens with a verse from Shir HaShirim: מה יפית ומה נעמת, אהבה בתענוגים—"How beautiful and how pleasant is love with delights." This posuk describes a very elevated form of love, a love that is both beautiful and sweet, a love that is filled with delight.

The Alter Rebbe brings this verse to introduce the idea that there is a level of love for Hashem that is not just about yearning or longing, but about actual delight and pleasure in the relationship with Hashem. This is called אהבה בתענוגים—love of delight.

The Alter Rebbe states: הנה, ב' מיני אהבות הן—there are two types of love. This is the foundation of the chapter: understanding that not all love for Hashem is the same, and that there are fundamentally different categories.

One type is a love that comes through our own effort, and the other is a love that is a gift from above. The Alter Rebbe will go on to explain the difference between these two types and how they are attained.

The first type, אהבה בתענוגים—love of delight, is described in detail. What does this mean? It is when a person מתענג על ה'—delights in Hashem, experiencing a עונג נפלא—a wondrous pleasure.

This pleasure is not just a fleeting feeling, but comes בשמחה רבה ועצומה—with a great and powerful joy. It is a שמחת הנפש—a rejoicing of the soul itself. This is a deep, inner joy that fills the person completely, not just an external happiness.

The Alter Rebbe continues: this joy is so intense that the soul וכלותה בטעמה—it expires, or yearns, in its taste. The soul is so overwhelmed by the sweetness of this connection that it feels as if it is melting away in the experience.

Why does this happen? כי טוב ה'—because Hashem is good. The soul tastes the goodness of Hashem, and it is ונעים נעימות עריבות—a pleasantness of pleasant sweetness, עד להפליא—to a wondrous extent.

This level is described as מעין עוה"ב ממש—literally a taste of the World to Come. The soul delights in the radiance of the Shechinah, just as it says about the World to Come: "they delight in the radiance of the Divine Presence." This is the ultimate pleasure, the soul's delight in Hashem Himself.

Regarding this level, the verse says: שמחו צדיקים בה'—the righteous rejoice in Hashem. This is a level that is reserved for Tzadikim, those who are truly righteous.

The Alter Rebbe emphasizes: ולא כל אדם זוכה לזה—not every person merits this. This is not a level that everyone can reach; it is a special gift, not something that can be attained simply through effort or desire. Only those who are truly worthy, the Tzadikim, can experience this kind of love and delight in Hashem.

The Alter Rebbe explains that this is the level described in the Zohar as כהנא ברעותא דלבא—the Kohen with the running of the heart. In the Zohar, the Kohen represents the Tzadik, whose heart is constantly running and yearning for Hashem in this deep, delightful love.

This is not just a metaphor; it is a spiritual reality. The Kohen, in his service, is able to reach this level of אהבה בתענוגים, and so too the Tzadik, whose heart is always striving for closeness to Hashem.

On this level, the Torah says: עבודת מתנה—a service of gift. This means that this kind of love is not something that can be earned through effort alone; it is a gift from above.

Just as the Kohen is given a special role and closeness in the Beis HaMikdash, so too this level of love is given only to those who are worthy. It cannot be attained by simply working harder or striving more; it is bestowed from above as a reward for reaching the highest levels of awe and fear of Hashem. Only after a person has done all he can in his own service does this special love descend to him as a gift.

The Alter Rebbe brings the verse והזר הקרב וגו'—"and the stranger who draws near…" This is a reference to the Torah's warning that only a Kohen is permitted to approach certain holy places in the Beis HaMikdash, while a non-Kohen, a "stranger," is not allowed to come close.

This analogy is used to illustrate that the lofty level of אהבה בתענוגים—love of delight—is not something that every person can attain. Just as only the Kohen is allowed to enter the innermost places, so too, this special love is reserved for those on a unique spiritual level, not for everyone.

The Alter Rebbe explains that there is no way to attain this level of love—אהבה בתענוגים—through one's own physical effort or toil. This is unlike the trait of yiras Hashem, fear or awe of G‑d, which a person is expected to work on and develop.

He references the teaching that when a person passes away, they are asked, יגעת ביראה?—"Did you labor in awe?" This means that a person is held accountable for whether they put in effort to acquire yiras Hashem. But regarding this higher love, there is no such expectation, because it cannot be reached through effort alone.

The Alter Rebbe adds a strong statement: Woe to the flesh that did not toil in awe. This is a quote from the beginning of Chagigah, and it underscores how essential it is for a person to put in effort to acquire yiras Hashem.

In other words, while the special love of delight is a gift, the responsibility to work on awe and reverence for G‑d lies with every individual. Neglecting this effort is a serious failing.

The Alter Rebbe brings another verse about yiras Hashem: אם תבקשנה ככסף וגו'—"If you seek it like silver…" This verse teaches that acquiring awe of G‑d requires a person to search and strive for it, just as one would pursue a valuable treasure.

This further emphasizes that yiras Hashem is something that comes through personal effort and searching, not as a passive gift.

From this, the Alter Rebbe derives that yiras Hashem requires great and powerful effort, just like someone searching for hidden treasures. It is not something that comes easily or automatically; it demands real work and dedication.

This analogy highlights the intensity and seriousness with which a person must pursue awe of G‑d, investing time and energy as if searching for something of immense value.

However, when it comes to this great love—אהבה רבה זו, אהבה בתענוגים—this love of delight, the Alter Rebbe says it descends upon a person on its own, from above. It is not something that a person can prepare for or intend to receive through their own actions.

This level of love is a gift from above, not a result of one's own preparation or effort. It is given to a person without them specifically working for it, unlike yiras Hashem, which requires toil.

But, the Alter Rebbe clarifies, this gift of love only comes after a person has toiled in yiras Hashem—awe of G‑d's greatness—and has reached the utmost of what he is capable of attaining, according to the level of his own soul.

In other words, a person must first do everything in his power to develop awe and reverence for G‑d, reaching the highest level he can. Only then is he worthy of receiving this higher love as a gift from above.

At that point, automatically, the love of delight—אהבה בתענוגים—comes down from above to dwell and unite with the awe that the person has achieved.

This means that the two qualities—yiras Hashem and ahava betanugim—become joined. The awe that a person worked for becomes the vessel, and the love of delight is bestowed from above, completing the spiritual experience.

The Alter Rebbe brings here the phrase כי דרכו של איש לחזר כו'—for it is the way of a man to seek out, and so on. This is a reference to the natural order described in Chazal, that it is the nature of the man to pursue the woman, not the other way around. In the context of our discussion, this is used as a metaphor for the relationship between Ahavah—love—and Yirah—awe or fear—of Hashem.

Here, the Yirah is something that a person can and must work for, putting in effort to attain a sense of awe and reverence for Hashem. Once a person has put in all the effort he can in developing Yirah, then the Ahavah b'Tanugim—the love of delight—descends from above as a gift. This love is compared to the masculine aspect, which seeks out the feminine, just as the man seeks out the woman. The Ahavah comes down to unite with the Yirah that the person has already acquired through his own work.

So, the Alter Rebbe is teaching that while Yirah is achieved through personal effort, Ahavah b'Tanugim is a gift from above that comes only after one has done all he can in attaining Yirah. The metaphor of the man seeking the woman illustrates how the higher level of love is drawn down to the person who has prepared himself through awe and reverence for Hashem.