אגרת הקדש, פרק ט׳

א[מ: כח אב] [פ: כט מנחם אב] אֲהוּבַיי אַחַיי וְרֵעַיי אֲשֶׁר כְּנַפְשִׁי, בָּאתִי כְּמַזְכִּיר וּמְעוֹרֵר יְשֵׁנִים בְּתַרְדֵּמַת הַבְלֵי הֲבָלִים, וְלִפְקוֹחַ עֵינֵי הָעִוְרִים יַבִּיטוּ לִרְאוֹת, לִהְיוֹת כָּל יִשְׁעָם וְחֶפְצָם וּמְגַמָּתָם לְכָל בָּהֶם חַיֵּי רוּחָם בִּ״מְקוֹר מַיִם חַיִּים״ חַיֵּי הַחַיִּים, כָּל יְמֵי חַיֵּיהֶם, מִנֶּפֶשׁ וְעַד בָּשָׂר. דְּהַיְינוּ, כָּל מִילֵּי דְעָלְמָא וְעִסְקֵי פַּרְנָסָה לֹא יִהְיֶה כְּאֵלּוּ דְּעָבְדִין לְגַרְמַיְיהוּ, וְלֹא יִהְיֶה בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּכָל הַגּוֹיִם, דְּזָנִין וּמְפַרְנְסִין וּמוֹקְרִין לִנְשַׁיְיהוּ וּבְנַיְיהוּ מֵאַהֲבָה, כִּי – ״מִי כְּעַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל גּוֹי אֶחָד בָּאָרֶץ״ כְּתִיב, דְּהַיְינוּ – שֶׁגַּם בְּעִנְיְנֵי אֶרֶץ לֹא יַפְרִידוּ [נוסח אחר: יִפָּרְדוּ] מֵאֶחָד הָאֱמֶת חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, לְהָעִיד עֵדוּת שֶׁקֶר חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, בִּקְרִיאַת־שְׁמַע עֶרֶב וָבוֹקֶר, בְּעֵינַיִם סְגוּרוֹת, ״ה׳ אֶחָד״ בְּד׳ רוּחוֹת וּבַשָּׁמַיִם מִמַּעַל וּבָאָרֶץ מִתָּחַת, וּבִפְקוֹחַ עֵינֵי הָעִוְרִים ״הֲתָעִיף עֵינֶיךָ בּוֹ וְאֵינֶנּוּ״ חַס וְשָׁלוֹם.

1NINE. My beloved, brethren and friends—who are to me as my soul: I come as one who reminds and awakens those who sleep the slumber of the vanities of vanities, and to open the eyes of the blind. Let them consider and see¹ that throughout their life all their striving, longing, and aiming for all in which there is the “life of their spirit”² be in “the source of the living waters”³ [the Fountainhead of all life⁴], with respect to the soul, as well as to the flesh⁵ [i.e., all mundane matters and occupations for livelihood]. Be not like those that do everything for their own sake! Let not the House of Israel be like all the nations⁶ that feed, provide, and esteem their wives and children out of love.⁷ For it is written: “Who is like Your people Israel, a unique nation on earth”;⁸ this means that even in mundane matters they will not, Heaven forfend, separate⁹ from the True One,¹⁰ to bear false witness, Heaven forfend, by reciting the Shema every evening and morning with closed eyes: “the L–rd is One”¹¹—in the four directions, and in the Heavens above and on earth below,¹² while, as the eyes of the blind are opened, “You cause your eyes to close upon Him, and He is no more,”¹³ Heaven forfend.

באַךְ בְּזֹאת יֵאוֹת לָנוּ, לִהְיוֹת [נוסח אחר: בִּהְיוֹת] כָּל עִסְקֵינוּ בְּמִילֵּי דְעָלְמָא לֹא לְגַרְמַיְיהוּ, כִּי אִם, לְהַחֲיוֹת נַפְשׁוֹת חֶלְקֵי אֱלֹקוּת, וּלְמַלֹּאות מַחְסוֹרֵיהֶם בְּחֶסֶד חִנָּם, שֶׁבָּזֶה אָנוּ מְדַמִּין הַצּוּרָה לְיוֹצְרָהּ, ה׳ אֶחָד, אֲשֶׁר ״חֶסֶד אֵל כָּל הַיּוֹם״, חֶסֶד שֶׁל אֱמֶת, לְהַחֲיוֹת הָעוֹלָם וּמְלוֹאוֹ בְּכָל רֶגַע וָרֶגַע, רַק שֶׁאִשְׁתּוֹ וּבָנָיו שֶׁל אָדָם קוֹדְמִין לַכֹּל עַל פִּי הַתּוֹרָה חוּץ מִצַּדִּיקִים שֶׁבַּדּוֹר שֶׁהֵן קוֹדְמִין לְבָנָיו, וְצַדִּיקִים שֶׁבְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל קוֹדְמִין לַצַדִּיקִים שֶׁבְּחוּץ לָאָרֶץ, לְבַד מִזֹּאת שֶׁלֹּא הִנִּיחוּ כְּמוֹתָן בְּחוּץ לָאָרֶץ, וְדַי לַמֵבִין.

2Only this shall be befitting us when¹⁴ all our engagements with mundane affairs are not for their own sake but in order to vivify the souls, the portions of G–d, and to supply what they lack out of gratuitous kindness. For thereby we give the form¹⁵ a semblance to its Former¹⁶—“the L–rd is One,” for the chesed of G–d endures at all time¹⁷—a true chesed ¹⁸—to animate the universe and all that fills it, every single moment. It is just that according to the Torah a man’s wife and children take precedence over all others,¹⁹ except²⁰ for the saints of that generation—who take precedence over one’s children and the saints of the Land of Israel take precedence over the saints in the Diaspora,²¹ [aside of the fact that they did not leave anyone in the Diaspora comparable to themselves],²² and suffice this for the initiated.

ג[מ: כט אב] [פ: ל מנחם אב] עַל כֵּן, אֲהוּבַיי אַחַיי, שִׂימוּ נָא לְבַבְכֶם לָאֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים הַנֶּאֱמָרִים בִּקְצָרָה מְאֹד (וְאִם יִרְצֶה ה׳ פֶּה אֶל פֶּה אֲדַבֵּר בָּם בַּאֲרוּכָּה), אֵיךְ הֱיוֹת כָּל עִיקַּר עֲבוֹדַת ה׳ בָּעִתִּים הַלָּלוּ בְּעִקְּבוֹת מְשִׁיחָא הִיא עֲבוֹדַת הַצְּדָקָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה: ״אֵין יִשְׂרָאֵל נִגְאָלִין אֶלָּא בִּצְדָקָה״. וְלֹא אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה ״תַּלְמוּד תּוֹרָה שָׁקוּל כְּנֶגֶד גְּמִילוּת חֲסָדִים״, אֶלָּא בִּימֵיהֶם, שֶׁתַּלְמוּד תּוֹרָה הָיָה עִיקַּר הָעֲבוֹדָה אֶצְלָם, וְעַל כֵּן הָיוּ חֲכָמִים גְּדוֹלִים תַּנָּאִים וְאַמוֹרָאִים. מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן בְּעִקְּבוֹת מְשִׁיחָא, שֶׁנָּפְלָה ״סוּכַּת דָּוִד״ עַד בְּחִינַת רַגְלַיִם וַעֲקֵבַיִים, שֶׁהִיא בְּחִינַת עֲשִׂיָּה, אֵין דֶּרֶךְ לְדָבְקָה בָּהּ בֶּאֱמֶת וּלְהַפְּכָא חֲשׁוֹכָא לִנְהוֹרָא דִּילָהּ [נוסח אחר: דִּילֵיהּ] כִּי אִם בִּבְחִינַת עֲשִׂיָּה גַם כֵּן, שֶׁהִיא מַעֲשֵׂה הַצְּדָקָה, כַּיָּדוּעַ לַמַּשְׂכִּילִים, שֶׁבְּחִינַת עֲשִׂיָּה בֵּאלֹקוּת – הִיא בְּחִינַת הַשְׁפָּעַת וְהַמְשָׁכַת הַחַיּוּת לְמַטָּה מַּטָּה לְמַאן דְּלֵית לֵיהּ מִגַּרְמֵיהּ כְּלוּם. וְכָל הַזּוֹבֵחַ אֶת יִצְרוֹ בָּזֶה וּפוֹתֵחַ יָדוֹ וּלְבָבוֹ, אִתְכַּפְיָא סִטְרָא אָחֳרָא וּמְהַפֵּךְ חֲשׁוֹכָא לְאוֹר הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרֵךְ, הַשּׁוֹכֵן עָלֵינוּ בִּבְחִינַת עֲשִׂיָּה בְּעִקְּבוֹת מְשִׁיחָא, וְיִזְכֶּה לִרְאוֹת ״עַיִן בְּעַיִן בְּשׁוּב ה׳ צִיּוֹן״ כוּ׳:

3Therefore, my beloved, my brethren: set your hearts to these words expressed in great brevity ²³ (and, please G–d, personally I will speak to them at length)—how in these times, with the advent of the Messiah,²⁴ the principal service of G–d is the service of charity, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: “Israel will be redeemed only through charity.”²⁵ Our Sages, of blessed memory, did not say that the study of Torah is equivalent to the performance of lovingkindness²⁶ except in their own days. For with them the principal service was the study of Torah and, therefore, there were great scholars: Tannaim and Amoraim. However, with the advent of the Messiah,²⁷ as “the Hut of David has fallen”²⁸ to a level of “feet” and “heels”—which is the level of “Action”—there is no way of truly cleaving to it²⁹ and to convert the darkness into its light, except through a corresponding category of action, namely the act of charity.³⁰ For, as known to the intelligent, the plane of action with reference to Divinity is the notion of a diffusion and efflux of vitality to the nethermost—to him who has nothing of his own. And whoever sacrifices his impulse in this respect and opens his hand and heart subdues the sitra achara³¹ and “converts the darkness into the light”³² of G–d, blessed be He, Who, with the advent of the Messiah, dwells over us in a state of action; and he will merit to “behold eye to eye, the L–rd returning to Zion …”³³

41 Par. Isaiah 42:18.

52 Par. Isaiah 38:16 (see Rashi ad loc.).

63 Par. Jeremiah 2:13; ibid., 17:13.

74 Lit.: the Life of life (see above, Epistle 4, note 74).

85 Par. Isaiah 10:18.

96 Text corrected according to L. H.

107 I.e., out of egocentric motivation.

118 I Chronicles 17:21.

129 V. L.: to become separated.

1310 Cf. Zohar II:155b and III:81a.

1411 Deuteronomy 6:4.

1512 See Berachot 13b; Zohar I:12a; 158a; II:216b.

1613 Par. Proverbs 23:5.

1714 V. L.: for… to be not.

1815 The creature (man).

1916 The Creator.—Cf. Bereishit Rabbah 27:1.

2017 Psalms 52:3 (cf. Rashi, ad loc.).

2118 Chesed shel emet, in Hebrew, signifying a gratuitous kindness (cf. Rashi on Genesis 47:29), continuous, ceaseless, and absolute (cf. Likkutei Torah, Massei 93b-c).

2219 See Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 251.

2320 From here to end of paragraph inserted according to L. H.

2421 See Sifrei, Deuteronomy 116; Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 251 (see also Pitchei Teshuvah, ad loc., par. 4).

2522 While the previous seems to be a general Halachic statement, these latter words appear to refer specifically to the Chasidic leaders (including the author’s master and colleague, R. Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk) who ascended to the Holy Land accompanied by their families and numerous followers.

2623 Brackets appear in the text.

2724 See below, note 27.

2825 Shabbat 139a; Sanhedrin 98a (see glossary notes, ad loc.).

2926 See Mishnah, Peah 1:1: “The study of Torah is equivalent to them all” (including the performance of kindness).—Cf. Likkutei Sichot, vol. 9, p. 345, in the glossary notes.

3027 Be’ikvot Meshicha, in Hebrew, lit. “on the heels,” or “in the footsteps of the Messiah.” See Sotah 49:b, and Rashi, ad loc., for this expression and Etz Chaim 3:2 for its mystical implication.

3128 Amos 9:11.

3229 The Hut of David, i.e., the Shechinah; cf. Zohar II:9a.

3330 Cf. below, Epistle 30.—See below, Epistle 12, on the notion of the “act of charity.”

3431 The “other side,” the side of evil and impurity.

3532 Cf. Zohar I:4a.

3633 Isaiah 52:8. The original letter ends here with a concluding salutation. In some versions of this letter there appear slight variations; see Igrot Kodesh Admur Hazaken (Kehot, 2012), p. 44 ff.

Kehot Publication Society (English Translation)