אגרת הקדש, פרק י״ח

א[מ: כג אלול] [פ: כז אלול] כְּתִיב: ״מַה יָּפִית וּמַה נָּעַמְתְּ, אַהֲבָה בַּתַּעֲנוּגִים״.

1EIGHTEEN. It is written: “How fair and how pleasant are you, ahavah betaanugim.”¹

בהִנֵּה ב׳ מִינֵי אֲהָבוֹת הֵן, הָאַחַת – ״אַהֲבָה בַּתַּעֲנוּגִים״, דְּהַיְינוּ, שֶׁמִּתְעַנֵּג עַל ה׳ עוֹנֶג נִפְלָא בְּשִׂמְחָה רַבָּה וַעֲצוּמָה, שִׂמְחַת הַנֶּפֶשׁ וּכְלוֹתָהּ, בְּטָעֲמָהּ כִּי טוֹב ה׳ וְנָעִים, נְעִימוּת עֲרֵיבוּת עַד לְהַפְלִיא, מֵעֵין עוֹלָם־הַבָּא מַמָּשׁ, שֶׁנֶּהֱנִין כוּ׳, וְעַל זֶה כְּתִיב: ״שִׂמְחוּ צַדִּיקִים בַּה׳״; וְלֹא כָּל אָדָם זוֹכֶה לָזֶה.

2There are two kinds of love.² One is ahavah betaanugim (love with delights), meaning that one is in a state of wondrous delight over G–d, with a great and immense joy [the joy of the soul and its yearning as it discerns that the L–rd is good³ and delightful as wondrously sweet delights]. It is truly in the mode of the World to Come where “they take delight….”⁴

גוְזוֹ הִיא בְּחִינַת ״כַּהֲנָא בִּרְעוּתָא דְלִבָּא״ שֶׁבַּזּוֹהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ, וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר: ״עֲבוֹדַת מַתָּנָה וְגוֹ׳ וְהַזָּר הַקָּרֵב וְגוֹ׳״, כִּי אֵין דֶּרֶךְ לְהַשִּׂיגָהּ עַל־יְדֵי יְגִיעַת בָּשָׂר, כְּמוֹ הַיִּרְאָה, שֶׁשּׁוֹאֲלִין עָלֶיהָ: ״יָגַעְתָּ בְּיִרְאָה״, וְ״אוֹי לְבָשָׂר שֶׁלֹּא נִתְיַיגֵּעַ בְּיִרְאָה״, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בְּ״רֵאשִׁית חָכְמָה״, וּכְתִיב בְּיִרְאָה: ״אִם תְּבַקְשֶׁנָּה כַכָּסֶף וְגוֹ׳״, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁצְּרִיכָה יְגִיעָה רַבָּה וַעֲצוּמָה כִּמְחַפֵּשׂ אַחַר אוֹצָרוֹת.

3And of this it is written:⁵ “Rejoice, tzaddikim,⁶ in the L–rd,” and not everyone merits this.⁷ This is the rank the sacred Zohar⁸ refers to as ka-hana bi’reuta deliba,⁹ and of which it is said:¹⁰ “A service of gift…¹¹ and the stranger that comes close….”¹² For there is no way to attain it by human efforts as (there is with) the awe (of G–d), of which it is asked “Did you labor with awe?” and “Woe to the person who did not labor with awe,” as mentioned in Reishit Chochmah. Of awe is also written¹³—“If you will seek it as silver…”; this shows that it requires a great and immense exertion, as when one searches for fortunes.

דאֲבָל אַהֲבָה רַבָּה זוֹ [״אַהֲבָה בַּתַּעֲנוּגִים״], נוֹפֶלֶת לָאָדָם מֵאֵלֶיהָ מִלְמַעְלָה בְּלִי שֶׁיָּכִין וִיכַוֵּון לָהּ, אַךְ וְרַק אַחַר שֶׁנִּתְיַיגֵּעַ בְּ״יִרְאַת הָרוֹמְמוּת״, וְהִגִּיעַ לְתַכְלִית מַה שֶּׁיּוּכַל לְהַשִּׂיג מִמֶּנָּה לְפִי בְּחִינַת נִשְׁמָתוֹ, אֲזַי מִמֵּילָא בָּאָה הָ״אַהֲבָה בַּתַּעֲנוּגִים״ מִלְמַעְלָה, לִשְׁכּוֹן וּלְהִתְיַיחֵד עִם הַיִּרְאָה, כִּי ״דַּרְכּוֹ שֶׁל אִישׁ לְחַזֵּר כוּ׳״, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר בְּלִקּוּטֵי אֲמָרִים.

4But this great love [¹⁴the ahavah betaanugim] comes to man by itself, from above, without him preparing and attuning himself for it; rather, only after he has exerted himself in yirat haromemut ¹⁵ and has attained the maximum he is able to attain of that according to the level of his soul, then, of itself, the ahavah betaanugim comes from above to dwell and to become united with the yirah.¹⁶ For “It is the way of man to go…,”¹⁷ as explained in Likkutei Amarim.¹⁸

ה[מ: כד אלול] [פ: כח אלול] וְהַשֵּׁנִית – הִיא אַהֲבָה וְתַאֲוָה, שֶׁהַנֶּפֶשׁ מִתְאַוָּה וְאוֹהֶבֶת וַחֲפֵיצָה לְדָבְקָה בַּה׳, לִצְרוֹר בִּצְרוֹר הַחַיִּים, וְקִרְבַת אֱלֹהִים טוֹב לָהּ מְאֹד, וּבוֹ תַּחְפּוֹץ, וְרַע לָהּ מְאֹד לְהִתְרַחֵק מִמֶּנּוּ יִתְבָּרֵךְ חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, לִהְיוֹת מְחִיצָה שֶׁל בַּרְזֶל מֵהַחִיצוֹנִים מַפְסֶקֶת חַס וְשָׁלוֹם.

5The second (type)¹⁹ is a love and desire that the soul desires, loves, and wishes to cleave to the L–rd, “to be bound up in the bundle of life.”²⁰ The proximity to G–d is very dear to her, and that is what she desires.²¹ It is most grievous for her to become, Heaven forfend, removed from Him, blessed be He, by having an iron partition of the chitzonim²² separating, Heaven forfend.

ווְאַהֲבָה זוֹ הִיא מוּסְתֶּרֶת בְּלֵב כְּלַל יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֲפִילוּ בִּרְשָׁעִים, וּמִמֶּנָּה בָּאָה לָהֶם הַחֲרָטָה.

6This love is latent in the heart of all Israel, even in the wicked ones, and from it derives their remorse.²³

זאַךְ מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהִיא מוּסְתֶּרֶת וְנֶעְלָמָה בִּבְחִינַת גָּלוּת בַּגּוּף, הֲרֵי הַקְּלִיפָּה יְכוֹלָה לִשְׁלוֹט עָלֶיהָ, וְזֶהוּ רוּחַ שְׁטוּת הַמַּחֲטִיא לָאָדָם.

7Though, because it is latent and concealed, in a state of exile in the body, it is possible for the kelipah²⁴ to dominate over it; and that is the “spirit of folly” which causes man to sin.²⁵

חוְעַל כֵּן, עֲבוֹדַת הָאָדָם לְקוֹנוֹ הִיא, לְהִתְחַזֵּק וּלְהִתְגַּבֵּר עַל הַקְּלִיפָּה בַּכֹּל מִכֹּל כֹּל, דְּהַיְינוּ, מִתְּחִלָּה לְגָרְשָׁהּ מֵהַגּוּף לְגַמְרֵי, מִמַּחֲשָׁבָה דִּבּוּר וּמַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁבְּמוֹחַ וְלָשׁוֹן וְרַמַ״ח אֵבָרִים, וְאַחַר כָּךְ, יוּכַל גַּם כֵּן ״לְהוֹצִיא מִמַּסְגֵּר אַסִּיר״ בְּחוֹזֶק יָד, דְּהַיְינוּ, לִהְיוֹת חָזָק וְ״אַמִּיץ לִבּוֹ בַּגִּבּוֹרִים״, לִהְיוֹת הָאַהֲבָה הַמְסוּתֶּרֶת נִגְלֵית בְּגִילּוּי רַב בְּכָל כֹּחוֹת חֶלְקֵי הַנֶּפֶשׁ שֶׁבַּגּוּף. דְּהַיְינוּ, הָעִיקָּר בְּשֵׂכֶל וּבְמַחֲשָׁבָה שֶׁבַּמּוֹחַ, שֶׁהַשֵּׂכֶל יַחְשֹׁב וְיִתְבּוֹנֵן תָּמִיד כְּפִי שִׂכְלוֹ וְהַשְׂכָּלָתוֹ בַּבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרֵךְ, אֵיךְ שֶׁהוּא חַיֵּי הַחַיִּים בִּכְלָל וְחַיֵּי נִשְׁמָתוֹ בִּפְרָט.

8Therefore man’s service to his Maker needs to be in strengthening himself and to prevail over the kelipah by all means. That is, first to expel it completely from the body—from the (faculties of) thought, speech, and action that are in the brain,²⁶ tongue,²⁷ and the 248 organs.²⁸ After that he will also be able to “bring out the captive from prison”²⁹ with a strong hand. That is, “his heart is strong and steadfast among the valiant,”³⁰ so that the love will become revealed in a state of great manifestation in all the powers of the parts of the soul in his body, i.e., mainly in the mind and in the (faculty of) thought of the brain, so that corresponding to its intellect and understanding the mind will constantly think and contemplate on the Creator, Blessed be He, how He is the Fountainhead of life³¹ in general, and of the life of his soul in particular.

טוְעַל כֵּן יִכְסוֹף וְיִתְאַוֶּה לִהְיוֹת דָּבוּק בּוֹ וְקָרוֹב אֵלָיו, כּוֹסֶף טִבְעִי, כְּבֵן הַכּוֹסֵף לִהְיוֹת תָּמִיד אֵצֶל אָבִיו, וּכְמוֹ אֵשׁ הָעוֹלָה לְמַעְלָה תָּמִיד בְּטִבְעָהּ לִמְקוֹרָהּ. וְכָל מַה שֶּׁיַּתְמִיד לַחֲשׁוֹב בְּשִׂכְלוֹ כּוֹסֶף זֶה כָּכָה יִתְגַּבֵּר וְיִתְפַּשֵּׁט כּוֹסֶף זֶה גַּם בְּפִיו וּבְכָל אֵבָרָיו לַעֲסוֹק בְּתוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹת, לְדָבְקָה בָהֶם בַּה׳ מַמָּשׁ, דְּ״אוֹרַיְיתָא וְקוּדְשָׁא־בְּרִיךְ־הוּא כּוּלָּא חַד״.

9Consequently, he will yearn and desire to become attached to Him, and near to Him, by an intrinsic yearning as that of a child that yearns to be constantly near his father, and as fire which by its very nature always rises upward to its source. And the more he continues to set his mind on this yearning, this yearning becomes correspondingly stronger and will extend even to his mouth and all his organs—to occupy himself with Torah and the commandments in order to truly cleave, through them, to G–d, for “the Torah and the Holy One, blessed is He, are entirely one.”³²

יוְעַל כּוֹסֶף זֶה שֶׁבְּגִילּוּי רַב כְּתִיב: ״צָמְאָה נַפְשִׁי וְגוֹ׳״, כְּאָדָם הַצָּמֵא לְמַיִם וְאֵין לוֹ תַּעֲנוּג עֲדַיִין כְּלָל.

10Of this yearning, as it is in a state of great manifestation, it is written: “My soul thirsts…,”³³ like a person who thirsts for water, and, as yet, has no delight whatsoever.³⁴

יאוְגַם עַל כּוֹסֶף זֶה וְאַהֲבָה זוֹ הַמוּסְתֶּרֶת בָּנוּ, אָנוּ מַעְתִּירִים לַה׳ לִהְיוֹת בְּעֶזְרֵנוּ, לְהוֹצִיאָהּ מִמַּסְגֵּר, וְשֶׁיִּהְיֶה הַלֵּב מָלֵא מִמֶּנָּה לְבַדָּהּ, וְלֹא תִכָּנֵס צָרָתָהּ בְּבֵיתָהּ שֶׁהִיא תַּאֲוַת עוֹלָם הַזֶּה, רַק שֶׁתִּהְיֶה הִיא עֲקֶרֶת הַבַּיִת לִמְשׁוֹל בְּצָרָתָהּ וּלְגָרְשָׁהּ הַחוּצָה מִמַּחֲשָׁבָה דִּבּוּר וּמַעֲשֶׂה עַל כָּל פָּנִים, הֲגַם שֶׁלֹּא יוּכַל לְשַׁלְּחָהּ לְגַמְרֵי מִלִּבּוֹ, עַל כָּל פָּנִים תִּהְיֶה הִיא מוּסְתֶּרֶת בִּבְחִינַת גָּלוּת וְעַבְדוּת לַעֲקֶרֶת הַבַּיִת גְּבִרְתָּהּ, לְהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בָּהּ לִדְבָרִים הֶכְרֵחִים לָהּ לְבַד, כַּאֲכִילָה וּשְׁתִיָּה, כְּדִכְתִיב: ״בְּכָל דְּרָכֶיךָ דָעֵהוּ״:

11Also, of this yearning and of this love concealed in us we pray to G–d to aid us in bringing it out from imprisonment, and that the heart be full of it alone; and that its “rival-wife,” i.e., the mundane desires, do not enter its house.³⁵ Rather, (this yearning and love) be the mistress of the house, to rule over her “rival-wife” and to expel her at least from one’s thought, speech, and action. Though one cannot expel her altogether from one’s heart, she should at least be hidden, in a state of exile and servitude to the mistress of the house, her mistress to make use of her for her own essentials only, as eating and drinking, as it is written:³⁶ “In all your ways, know Him.”³⁷

121 Song of Songs 7:7.

132 Zohar I:12a. See also above, Epistle 6 (notes 24 ff.) and end of Epistle 15.

143 Par. Psalms 34:9.

154 Berachot 17a; Maimonides, Hilchot Teshuvah, ch. 8.

165 Psalms 97:12.

176 The righteous [in the sense of saints] (see Likkutei Amarim, Part I, for the meaning of this term, esp. chs. 1, 10, 14, 35).

187 It is the love attained by the tzaddikim only.—See Chovot Halevovot, Shaar Ahavat Hashem, ch. 4; Likkutei Amarim, Author’s Introduction to Part II.

198 See Zohar III:39a; ibid., 88b and 177b, in the light of Zohar II:25b. Cf. also Zohar II:57a, and see Sefer Hamaamarim 5710, pp. 4 ff. and 54 ff.

209 (The service of) the priest is with the devotion of the heart.

2110 Numbers 18:7.

2211 I.e., a service (avodah) which comes by way of a gift. See comment. of Rashi and Nachmanides, ad loc. See Likkutei Amarim, Part I, ch. 14.

2312 Priesthood symbolizes the level of special proximity to and love of G–d (cf. Sifrei, Numbers, sect. 119), and an elevated position of sanctity (see Maharal, Derech Chaim, on Avot 4:13), thus the state of ahavah rabbah, or ahavah betaanugim, which follows as a Divine gift and reward to the tzaddikim that are on this level.

2413 Proverbs 2:4; cf. Likkutei Amarim, Part I, ch. 42.

2514 Brackets appear in the text.

2615 Awe and bashfulness before the Majesty of G–d (as contrasted with the lower level of the dread of the punishment of G–d; see ref. cited above, note 2); cf. Zohar I:11b; Maimonides, Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah 11:2 and 4:12; Ikkarim 3:32.

2716 See Chovot Halevovot, Shaar Ahavat Hashem, Intro., ch. 3, and end of ch. 4.

2817 The way of a man [i.e., love; according to Psalms 98:3: זכר חסדו—reading זכר (male) for זכר (remembered)] to search for a woman [i.e., fear, awe; according to Proverbs 31:30: אשה יראת ה’; cf. Zohar III:27a].—Kiddushin 2b; see next note.—Love, thus, comes where awe is to be found already. Cf. Zohar III:145a-b.

2918 Likkutei Amarim, Part I, ch. 43. See also Likkutei Torah, Va’etchanan 7d; Siddur Im Dach 188a.

3019 The inferior type: ahavah zuta.

3120 I Samuel 25:29. See Likkutei Torah, Shelach 51d (and references, ad loc.); below, Epistle 29.

3221 Par. Psalms 73:28 and Isaiah 58:2.

3322 Forces of evil. The chitzonim, brought about by sin, separate man from G–d; see Isaiah 59:2; Zohar II:116b and Tikkunei Zohar 69 (108b). Cf. Sefer Habahir 58 (196).

3423 Referring to “the wicked are full of remorse” (Shevet Mussar, ch. 25; cf. Nedarim 9b); see Likkutei Amarim, Part I, ch. 11.

3524 The realm of evil (cf. below, Epistle 25, note 39).

3625 See Sotah 3a.

3726 Seat of thought.

3827 Seat of speech.

3928 Seat of action.

4029 Isaiah 42:7—I.e., this love, from the dominion of the kelipah.

4130 Amos 2:16; cf. commentaries by R. Abraham Ibn Ezra and R. David Kimchi, ad loc.

4231 Lit., the Life of life—(cf. above, Epistle 17, note 4).

4332 Zohar II:90b; see also ibid., 60a and Kitzurim V’Hearot, p. 104 f. Cf. Likkutei Amarim, Part I, ch. 23.

4433 Psalms 42:3. See Hilchot Talmud Torah 4:6.

4534 The thirst is so overpowering that he is unable to delight in anything.

4635 See Likkutei Torah, Teitzei 37d ff. for this homily of the “two wives” as corresponding to the divine and the natural souls.

4736 Proverbs 3:6.

4837 Maimonides, Hilchot Deot 3:2 ff.: “Whether engaged in commerce or in manual labor for profit, one’s heart should not be solely set on the accumulation of wealth, but he should do these things in order to obtain therewith his bodily needs…. Likewise, when he eats or drinks, his purpose should not be to secure physical gratification, etc., but solely to maintain his body in health and vigor, etc. Man should aim to maintain physical health and vigor in order that his soul may be upright, in a condition to know G–d…by all your ways know Him.”—See also the comment. by R. Levi Gersonides, and Tzavaat Harivash, on this verse.

Kehot Publication Society (English Translation)