## Tanya, Part IV; Iggeret HaKodesh

###### Tanya, Part IV; Iggeret HaKodesh 2:1
[Tanya, Part IV; Iggeret HaKodesh 2:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tanya/s/Part%20IV%3B%20Iggeret%20HaKodesh/r/2:1)

אחר ביאתו מפטרבורג

**Kehot Publication Society (English Translation):**
*Upon his arrival from Petersburg*¹, tr. J. I. Schochet (Kehot, 1964).

footnotes:
¹ This letter the author sent to all his followers upon his release from imprisonment brought about by calumnies instigated by the opponents of Chasidism. The history of this letter, and the events of that important phase in the annals of Chasidism, form the contents of The Arrest and Liberation of Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi


###### Tanya, Part IV; Iggeret HaKodesh 2:2
[Tanya, Part IV; Iggeret HaKodesh 2:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tanya/s/Part%20IV%3B%20Iggeret%20HaKodesh/r/2:2)

**״קָטֹנְתִּי** מִכֹּל הַחֲסָדִים וּמִכָּל כוּ׳״. פֵּירוּשׁ, שֶׁבְּכָל חֶסֶד וָחֶסֶד שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא עוֹשֶׂה לְאָדָם צָרִיךְ לִהְיוֹת שְׁפַל רוּחַ בִּמְאֹד. כִּי חֶסֶד דְּרוֹעָא יְמִינָא, ״וִימִינוֹ תְּחַבְּקֵנִי״, שֶׁהִיא בְּחִינַת קִרְבַת אֱלֹהִים מַמָּשׁ בְּיֶתֶר שְׂאֵת מִלְּפָנִים, וְכָל הַקָּרוֹב אֶל ה׳ בְּיֶתֶר שְׂאֵת וְהַגְבֵּהַּ לְמַעְלָה מַעְלָה, צָרִיךְ לִהְיוֹת יוֹתֵר שְׁפַל רוּחַ לְמַטָּה מַטָּה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב ״מֵרָחוֹק ה׳ נִרְאָה לִי״. וְכַנּוֹדָע, דְּכוּלָּא ״קַמֵּיהּ״ דַּוְוקָא – כְּלָא חָשִׁיב, וְאִם כֵּן, כָּל שֶׁהוּא ״קַמֵּיהּ״ יוֹתֵר – הוּא יוֹתֵר כְּלָא וְאַיִן וָאֶפֶס.

**Kehot Publication Society (English Translation):**
**TWO.** “I have become small from all the favors and from all….”² This means that by every favor (*chesed*) that G–d bestows upon man, (man) is to become very humble. For “*chesed*³ is the right arm,”⁴ (cf. Addendum, *Mystical Concepts in Chassidism*).—*Tikkunei Zohar*, Introduction 17a. and “His right arm embraces me”⁵—which refers to the state of G–d actually bringing him close (to Himself), far more intensely than before. And whoever is close to G–d, with ever exceeding uplifting and elevation, must be ever more humble—to the lowliest plane,⁶, ed. Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Lubavitch (Kehot, 1948; 1989), pp. 40 and 149. as it is written: “From afar the L–rd has appeared to me.”⁷ And as known, “All that are *before Him* are esteemed as nothing.”⁸ I:11b (emphasis is the author’s). Hence, whoever is more “before Him” is that much more as nothing, naught, and nonexistent.

footnotes:
² Genesis 32:11.
³ Grace, favor, kindness.
⁴ In the “man-image” of the sefirot
⁵ Song of Songs 2:6.
⁶ See Kitzurim V’Hearot L’Sefer Likkutei Amarim
⁷ Jeremiah 31:2.
⁸ Zohar


###### Tanya, Part IV; Iggeret HaKodesh 2:3
[Tanya, Part IV; Iggeret HaKodesh 2:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tanya/s/Part%20IV%3B%20Iggeret%20HaKodesh/r/2:3)

וְזוֹ הִיא בְּחִינַת יָמִין שֶׁבִּקְדוּשָּׁה וְחֶסֶד לְאַבְרָהָם, שֶׁאָמַר ״אָנֹכִי עָפָר וָאֵפֶר״. וְזוֹ הִיא גַּם כֵּן מִדָּתוֹ שֶׁל יַעֲקֹב, וּבָזֹאת הִתְנַצֵּל עַל יִרְאָתוֹ מִפְּנֵי עֵשָׂו, וְלֹא דַי לוֹ בְּהַבְטָחָתוֹ ״וְהִנֵּה אָנֹכִי עִמָּךְ כוּ׳״ – מִפְּנֵי הֱיוֹת קָטָן יַעֲקֹב בִּמְאֹד מְאֹד בְּעֵינָיו, מֵחֲמַת רִיבּוּי הַחֲסָדִים ״כִּי בְמַקְלִי כוּ׳״, וְאֵינוֹ רָאוּי וּכְדַאי כְּלָל לְהִנָּצֵל כוּ׳, וּכְמַאֲמַר רַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה ״שֶׁמָּא יִגְרוֹם הַחֵטְא״, שֶׁנִּדְמֶה בְעֵינָיו שֶׁחָטָא.

**Kehot Publication Society (English Translation):**
And this is the rank of the “right side” of holiness and of “*chesed* to Abraham”⁹; see *Sefer Habahir* 48 (131); *Zohar* I:41a, II:51b; *Zohar Chadash* 27a; *et passim*.—The “right side,” too, signifies *chesed*; see Addendum, *Mystical Concepts in Chassidism*. who said:¹⁰ “And I am dust and ashes.”¹¹ 89a. This (humility) is also the trait of Jacob, and therewith he justified himself for his fear of Esau and did not rely on the promise given to him—“And, behold, I am with you….”¹² (That is), because Jacob regarded himself as utterly insignificant¹³ [because of the multitude of favors, “for with my staff…”¹⁴], and as unfit and unworthy to be saved…and as the saying of our Sages, of blessed memory, “maybe sin will cause…,” for it appeared to him that he had sinned.¹⁵ 4a.

footnotes:
⁹ Micah 7:20. Abraham signifies the attribute of chesed
¹⁰ Genesis 18:27.
¹¹ Cf. Chullin
¹² Genesis 28:6.
¹³ Lit., was very, very small in his (own) esteem.
¹⁴ Genesis 32:11.
¹⁵ Berachot


###### Tanya, Part IV; Iggeret HaKodesh 2:4
[Tanya, Part IV; Iggeret HaKodesh 2:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tanya/s/Part%20IV%3B%20Iggeret%20HaKodesh/r/2:4)

מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן בְּזֶה לְעוּמַּת זֶה, הוּא יִשְׁמָעֵאל – חֶסֶד דִּקְלִיפָּה, כָּל שֶׁהַחֶסֶד גָּדוֹל, הוּא הוֹלֵךְ וְגָדֵל בְּגוֹבַהּ וְגַסּוּת הָרוּחַ וְרוֹחַב לִבּוֹ.

**Kehot Publication Society (English Translation):**
It is different, though, with the corresponding opposite,¹⁶ 9 (11); *Zohar* I:160a; ibid., III:282a; *Tikkunei Zohar* 70 (125a); *et passim*. See also *Pardes Rimonim* 25:1; *Or* *Hatorah*, *Nach*, vol. 2, p. 1128; below, Epistle 25, note 63. i.e., Ishmael—“*chesed of kelipah*”¹⁷ in holiness, so Ishmael signifies the attribute of *chesed* in *kelipah*; see *Zohar* III:246b (also ibid., 124a). Cf. *Likkutei Torah*, *Ekev* 18a.: the more kindness (manifested to him), the more he grows in pride, haughtiness, and self-satisfaction.¹⁸ 89a and *Midrash Tehillim*, ed. Buber, 22:20, in the editor’s glosses, note 99.

footnotes:
¹⁶ See Ecclesiastes 7:14: “G–d has made one thing opposite the other.” This verse is interpreted to mean that everything in one realm has its corresponding opposite in another realm. Thus every factor in the realm of “holiness” has a corresponding opposite in the “other side,” in the realm of the profane or evil.—See Sefer Habahir
¹⁷ As Abraham signifies the attribute of chesed
¹⁸ Cf. Chullin


###### Tanya, Part IV; Iggeret HaKodesh 2:5
[Tanya, Part IV; Iggeret HaKodesh 2:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tanya/s/Part%20IV%3B%20Iggeret%20HaKodesh/r/2:5)

וְלָזֹאת, בָּאתִי מִן הַמּוֹדִיעִים מוֹדָעָה רַבָּה לִכְלָלוּת אַנְשֵׁי שְׁלוֹמֵנוּ, עַל רִיבּוּי הַחֲסָדִים אֲשֶׁר הִגְדִּיל ה׳ לַעֲשׂוֹת עִמָּנוּ, לֶאֱחוֹז בְּמִדּוֹתָיו שֶׁל יַעֲקֹב ״שְׁאָר עַמּוֹ״ וּ״שְׁאֵרִית יִשְׂרָאֵל״, שֶׁמֵּשִׂים עַצְמוֹ כְּשִׁירַיִים וּמוֹתָרוֹת מַמָּשׁ שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ שׁוּם צוֹרֶךְ, לְבִלְתִּי רוּם לְבָבָם מֵאֲחֵיהֶם כוּ׳, וְלֹא לְהַרְחִיב עֲלֵיהֶם פֶּה, אוֹ לִשְׁרוֹק עֲלֵיהֶם חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, הַס מִלְּהַזְכִּיר בְּאַזְהָרָה נוֹרָאָה, רַק לְהַשְׁפִּיל רוּחָם וְלִבָּם, בְּמִדַּת אֱמֶת לְיַעֲקֹב, מִפְּנֵי כָּל אָדָם, בִּנְמִיכוּת רוּחַ, וּ״מַעֲנֶה רַךְ מֵשִׁיב חֵימָה״, ״וְרוּחַ נְכֵאָה כוּ׳״, וְכוּלֵּי הַאי וְאוּלַי יִתֵּן ה׳ בְּלֵב אֲחֵיהֶם ״כַּמַּיִם הַפָּנִים וְגוֹ׳״:

**Kehot Publication Society (English Translation):**
Therefore I come with a general announcement to inform all our followers regarding the multitude of favors—“The great things that the L–rd has done with us”¹⁹: to hold on to the attributes of Jacob, the “remnant of His people”²⁰ and the “remainder of Israel,”²¹ who regards himself truly as remnants and excess that is of no use.²² *Hashanah* 17a. They are not to become haughty-minded in relation to their brethren…not to speak defiantly against them or hiss at them,²³ at them; cf. *The Arrest and Liberation*, p. 65. Heaven forfend. A strict warning: hold your peace! No mention is to be made!²⁴ Rather, they are to subdue their spirit and heart before everyone²⁵ 4:10. according to the attribute of “Truth (*emet*) to Jacob,”²⁶ (which corresponds to *tiferet*); see *Sefer Habahir* 49 (137); *Zohar* II:267a; *Tikkunei Zohar*, Introduction 4b; *Zohar Chadash* 26c. Cf. *Bereishit Rabbah* 78:14; and see below, Epistle 6. with humility and a “Soft answer that turns away anger,”²⁷ and with a restrained spirit…. And,²⁸, 10 Menachem Av. maybe, through all that G–d will put into the heart of their brethren that “As waters (reflect) the face….”²⁹

footnotes:
¹⁹ Par. Psalms 126:3.
²⁰ Par. Isaiah 11:11.
²¹ Par. Jeremiah 6:9; 31:6; etc.
²² Cf. Rosh
²³ Alternately: to whistle
²⁴ Par. Amos 6:10.
²⁵ Cf. Avot
²⁶ Micah 7:20. Jacob signifies the attribute of truth
²⁷ Proverbs 15:8.
²⁸ The following words did not appear in the original epistle and were added later by the author. See Hayom Yom
²⁹ Proverbs 27:19; see above, Epistle 1, note 26.