THIRTY. It is known that our Sages, of blessed memory, said¹ 6b.: “Whoever is accustomed to come to the synagogue and one day did not come, the Holy One, blessed is He, makes inquiry about him, for it is said,² ‘who among you fears the L–rd….’”

footnotes: ¹ Berachot ² Isaiah 50:10.

The same applies to all the commandments, and especially the precept of charity, “which is balanced against all the commandments.”³ 1:1. Though it is without a vow,⁴ Aruch, Yoreh Deah 203; cf. Likkutei Torah, Matot 82b. Heaven forfend, nevertheless, it is not becoming to the divine soul of all the men of valor whose hearts the fear of the L–rd has touched⁵ to make a diminution in what is holy, relative to what they were accustomed to set aside, annually, from their wealth, to revive the spirit of the humble and downcast⁶ who have nothing of their own. It is “the Hut of David that is fallen…,”⁷ (see above, Epistle 9, note 29). The poor are the aspect of the Fallen Hut—the Shechinah, the sefirah of malchut which “has nothing of its own.” See above, Epistle 21, note 24. to raise and to exalt… “that it be united in the One….”⁸ II:135a. By giving charity one raises and reinstates the Fallen “Hut,” thereby effecting the ultimate goal of the unity of the Holy One, blessed is He, and His Shechinah. See also Zohar III:113b. Cf. Likkutei Amarim, Part I, end of ch. 50; Maamarei Admur Hazaken—Ketuvim, vol. 2, p. 161.

footnotes: ³ Jerusalem Talmud, Peah ⁴ See Shulchan ⁵ Par. I Samuel 10:26. ⁶ Par. Isaiah 57:15. ⁷ Amos 9:11, referring to the Shechinah ⁸ Zohar

And everything is according to the preponderance of [good] deeds…,⁹ 3:15. See above, Epistle 21. and according to the amount (cheshbon). Thus our Sages, of blessed memory, said, “Each and every coin adds up to a great amount (cheshbon),”¹⁰ Batra 9b. and as the saying of our Sages, of blessed memory:¹¹ II:235a; III:5a; Zohar Chadash 44a. “When is the L–rd great? When He is in the city of our G–d….”¹². The ultimate goal, the “greatness of the L–rd,” will thus be achieved when this unity is effected; see Zohar III:5a and Zohar Chadash 51d. It is the aspect and place of the cheshbon,¹³. Cheshbon, too, signifies malchut; see Zohar III:220b and Likkutei Torah, Chukat 66d ff. as it is written: “Your eyes are wells in cheshbon.”¹⁴

footnotes: ⁹ Avot ¹⁰ Bava ¹¹ Zohar ¹² Psalms 48:2.—“In the city” may also be read “[when He is] with the city.” The “city of G–d” signifies malchut ¹³ The “city of our G–d” is the aspect and place of Cheshbon ¹⁴ Song of Songs 7:5.

The meaning is that, as known, an arousal from below [the issuance of life, grace, and kindness by an act of charity out of a good will and a friendly countenance¹⁵ 8:9; Vayikra Rabbah 34:1; Avot d’R. Nattan, ch. 13; cf Bava Batra 9b. See also below, Epistle 32.] elicits an arousal from above:¹⁶ “The L–rd will make His Countenance shine,”¹⁷ i.e., a radiation and issue of grace, chesed, and Supreme favor¹⁸); see above, Epistle 22, note 31. from the Fountainhead of life,¹⁹ the En Sof, blessed is He, [to whose greatness²⁰; see above, Epistle 13, note 30. there is no searching and apprehension whatsoever], to the aspect of “Your malchut is the malchut of all worlds,”²¹, Epistle 8, note 44. the “world of manifestation” (alma deitgalya).²², Epistle 20, and note 53, ad loc. It²³. animates all the creatures [that are in all the upper and lower hechalot²⁴] which are in a category of number and amount (cheshbon), as it is written: “A thousand thousands minister unto Him.”²⁵

footnotes: ¹⁵ See Jerusalem Talmud, Peah ¹⁶ Above, Epistle 4, note 45. ¹⁷ Numbers 6:25. ¹⁸ Signified by Countenance (panim ¹⁹ Lit.: the Life of life (see above, Epistle 17, note 4). ²⁰ The aspect of chesed ²¹ Psalms 145:13; see above ²² See above ²³ Malchut ²⁴ Shrines; realms. ²⁵ Daniel 7:10.

This is the meaning of the “great amount,” because the quantitative act of charity brings about peace.²⁶ The meaning of “peace” is to join and conciliate two opposite extremes. (In our context) these are the extremity of the superior heaven, the aspect of “And to His greatness there is no searching”²⁷ and the extremity of the inferior heaven²⁸; malchut.—which vests itself in Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah, (that is, in) a category of limitation and number, and suffice this for the initiated.

footnotes: ²⁶ Cf. above, end of Epistles 4 and 12. ²⁷ Great is the L–rd and highly to be praised, and to His greatness there is no searching; Psalms 145:3. ²⁸ The Shechinah