SIX. “But he who sows tzedakah has a reward of truth.” (Proverbs 11)¹Brackets appear in the text. This means that the attribute of truth is the reward for the sowing of tzedakah.²

footnotes: ¹ Verse 18.— ² See commentaries by R. Abraham Ibn Ezra and R. Levi Gersonides, ad loc.

It is also written:³ “You give truth to Jacob”—and the prophet engages in extolling the Holy One, blessed is He, as mentioned in the sacred Zohar.⁴ III:131b. This means that it is the Holy One, blessed is He, who gives the attribute of truth to Jacob.⁵

footnotes: ³ Micah 7:20. ⁴ Zohar ⁵ See above, Epistle 2, note 26.

Now this needs to be understood. Is there then no truth in Jacob, Heaven forfend, until the Holy One, blessed is He, gives it to him from above?

However, it is well known that the attribute of Jacob is the attribute of rachamim (compassion).⁶ and gevurah, thus rachamim or tiferet; Zohar II:175b-176a; also Zohar II:51b; et passim. See Addendum, Mystical Concepts in Chassidism, and below, Epistle 15. And the service of G–d in a mode of compassion derives from arousing in the heart of man a great compassion for the Divine spark in his soul, which is removed from the light of G–d’s Countenance when (man) goes about in the darkness of the vanities of the world. And this arousal of compassion itself derives from the contemplation on, and cognition of, the greatness of G–d: how even the most infinitely sublime worlds are esteemed as truly naught before Him. For all their bounty and vitality is but from a gleam and reflection of a single letter of His Name, blessed be He, as it is stated:⁷ 29b. See above, Epistle 5. “The World to Come was created by the yud….”

footnotes: ⁶ Jacob is the “middle bar that bolts from end to end” (Exodus 26:28) that is the bolt mediating between chesed ⁷ Menachot

Now, it is in this radiation and reflection [which is an extension of vivification from His Name, blessed be He, to animate the upper and lower beings]—that there is a distinction and difference with respect to upper and lower beings. For “This world was created by the hey….”⁸ is different than that of the yud (more contracted, concealed, etc.). Thus there is a difference between the “upper” world (the World to Come) and the “nether” world (this world). Likewise with the effects of all the other emanations. Also, all the differences in the details in every world are according to the differences in the combinations of the letters.⁹ The differences in the temporal dimensions of past, present, and future, and the differences in all the events throughout the differing times, all of these, too, came about from the variations in the combinations of the letters. For (the letters) are the conduits of the vivification from His attributes, blessed be His Name (¹⁰as explained in Likkutei Amarim, Part II, ch. 11).

footnotes: ⁸ Ibid.—The radiation from the hey ⁹ The letters of G–d’s fiats (by which everything was created), each of which designates a specific emanation.—See above, Epistle 5 (and note 54, ad loc.). ¹⁰ Brackets appear in the text.

But as for His Being and Essence, blessed be He, it is written:¹¹ “I, the L–rd, I have not changed,” neither in terms of changes of the development from the uppermost of levels to the nethermost [for just as He, blessed be He, is found in the upper worlds, so He is in precisely that measure in the nether worlds ¹² (and as explained in Likkutei Amarim, Part I, ch. 51)], nor in terms of temporal changes [for just as He was alone, one and unique, before the six days of creation, so He is now after the creation]. This is so because everything is absolutely as nothing and naught in relation to His being and essence,¹³ I:11b. just as, metaphorically speaking [to appease the ear,¹⁴, Yitro, s.v. Bachodesh, ch. 4). while in fact “There is no comparison to You,” it is written¹⁵], a single letter of the speech, or even of the thought of man, is in relation to the general being and essence of the rational soul; and as explained elsewhere ¹⁶ (in Likkutei Amarim, Part II, ch. 9), see there.¹⁷, Part I, ch. 20.

footnotes: ¹¹ Malachi 3:6. ¹² Brackets appear in the text. ¹³ Cf. Zohar ¹⁴ I.e., “to make it intelligible to man” (cf. Mechilta ¹⁵ Psalms 40:6. ¹⁶ Brackets appear in the text. ¹⁷ Cf. also Likkutei Amarim

That is why we say¹⁸ “The King Who is exalted, alone from aforetime.” This means, just as aforetime, before the creation, He was alone, so now, too, “He is exalted…and elevated beyond the days of the world”;¹⁹ that is, He is exalted and elevated, transcending the dimension of time—which is referred to as “the days of the world.” This is so because the life-force of all the days derives solely from the aspect of “the King…,” as explained elsewhere.²⁰, Part II, ch. 7.

footnotes: ¹⁸ Liturgy, Morning Prayer. ¹⁹ Ibid. (in the same passage). ²⁰ See Likkutei Amarim

It follows then that the compassion for the spark that dwells in the dark and gloomy body—the “hide of the snake,”²¹, Introduction 10b; 58 (92b); Etz Chaim 49:4. Cf. Pirkei d’R. Eliezer, ch. 20, and Midrash Tehillim, 92:6. is overwhelming. For it is liable to contract impurity and to become defiled by all the lusts, the Merciful save us, were it not for G–d being a shield to it, and giving it strength and might to wage war with, and triumph over the body and its passions.²² 52b. And this is the meaning of “L–rd of our strength…shield of our salvation….”²³

footnotes: ²¹ See Tikkunei Zohar ²² Cf. Sukkah ²³ See above, note 18.

Now it is well known that there are two types of awe and love (respectively).²⁴, and yirah ilaah (or: yirat haromemut), and two general types of love: ahavah zutta, and ahavah rabbah (or: ahavah betaanugim). See Likkutei Amarim, Part I, ch. 40 ff., esp. ch. 43; below, Epistle 15 (and notes 88 ff., ad loc.); and Epistle 18. See also Author’s Introduction to Likkutei Amarim, Part I, Part II; and Hilchot Talmud Torah 4:6. The first ones are born from the contemplation on, and cognition of, the greatness of G–d and those matters that lead to a love of G–d and the fear of Him. The latter²⁵ ones are those that come afterward, from above, as a gift, [as explained elsewhere²⁶, Part I, ch. 14; see below, Epistle 18. in comment on the verse²⁷ “I will make your priesthood a rewarding service”—that it refers to the attribute of (the supreme) love; and it is likewise in regard to awe].

footnotes: ²⁴ I.e., two general types of awe: yirah tataah ²⁵ The second sorts of awe and love. ²⁶ Likkutei Amarim ²⁷ Numbers 18:7.

Now there is surely no comparison between the first ones—which are the products of the created intellect, and the latter ones—which are from the Creator, blessed be His Name.²⁸ That is why these (the latter) are referred to as “truth,” for the seal of the Holy One, blessed is He, is truth,²⁹ 55a; see also Zohar I:2b. for He is the true Truth,³⁰ 1:1. and all the truth among the creatures is esteemed as nothing before Him.³¹ 1:3, 4.—G–d is emet le’amito, absolute truth. All other truth is but relative.

footnotes: ²⁸ I.e., the lower levels of awe and love are the sort of service that is earned through man’s efforts. The higher levels are the type of service that is granted as a gift from above. ²⁹ Shabbat ³⁰ Cf. Jeremiah 10:10 and Jerusalem Talmud, Sanhedrin ³¹ See Maimonides, Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah

But which is the way whereby man merits the “truth of G–d”? It is by arousing, before G–d, great compassion for the spark in his soul. And this is the attribute of Jacob—who³² “bolts from one end to the other end,”³³ that is, from the uppermost of all levels to the nethermost,³⁴ I:1b; cf. also above, note 6. to cause the “truth of G–d” to issue to this lowly dark world, and as it is written: “When I sit in darkness, the L–rd is a light for me.”³⁵ And this is the meaning of “For His chesed has prevailed over us….”³⁶ has prevailed over us, and the truth of G–d (issues) to the world.”—By means of the attribute of rachamim (tiferet), chesed prevails over gevurah and issues to us, drawing forth the truth of G–d into this world. Cf. Tikkunei Zohar, Additions, 139a.

footnotes: ³² See above, note 6. ³³ Exodus 26:28. ³⁴ Cf. Zohar ³⁵ Micah 7:8. ³⁶ Psalms 117:2: “For His chesed

However, the arousal of great compassion before G–d also needs to be in truth. But even when it is true in mortal terms,³⁷ how can one arouse [through (relative) truth] the supernal compassion from the truth of G–d?

footnotes: ³⁷ Lit., When one is in his own truth.

The advice for this is the trait of charity—which is the attribute of compassion for one who has nothing of his own, to “Revive the spirit of the humble….”³⁸ And the arousal from below elicits an arousal from above:³⁹ the L–rd arouses the sleeping and awakens the unconscious,⁴⁰). that is, the concealed, great compassion and Supernal graces,⁴¹. to emerge from concealment into manifestation and a great illumination, to radiate with the light of life⁴²—“the truth of G–d into the world.”⁴³

footnotes: ³⁸ Par. Isaiah 57:15. ³⁹ See above, Epistle 4, note 45. ⁴⁰ Par. Liturgy, Shabbat Morning (Nishmat Kol Chay ⁴¹ The Supreme chesed ⁴² Par. Job. 33:30 and cf. Psalms 56:14. ⁴³ Par. Psalms 117:2; see above, note 36.

And this is the meaning of the idiom of “sowing” related to charity: to make sprout the Supreme truth of G–d, especially through the charity and the true kindness performed with the Holy Land [may it be built and established speedily in our days, amen] to realize the verse: “Truth shall sprout forth from the land”⁴⁴—from the sowing of charity in it.⁴⁵, ad loc.; cf. also below, Epistle 7, note 36. And the kindness and great compassion that are gathered and gleaned into it, they arouse—correspondingly—the Supreme graces⁴¹ that are hidden and concealed,46 as it is written: “Which You have hidden…,”⁴⁷ to establish it and to set it up firmly. Of this it is written: “Through tzedakah shall you be established.”⁴⁸

footnotes: ⁴⁴ Psalms 85:12. “Land” refers to the Holy Land, the subject of this Psalm. ⁴⁵ Cf. the comment of Rashi ⁴⁷ Psalms 31:20; see below, Epistle 13. ⁴⁸ Isaiah 54:14.