Daily Tanya Tuesday, 29th Kisleiv: Chapter 4-The garments of the G-dly soul & how the soul bonds with G-d

Chapter 4: The garments of the G-dly soul & how the soul bonds with G-d

(LY) 29^th Kisleiv

1.       The Levushim of the G-dly soul:

• The number of garments: In addition to the ten traits that is contained within every G-dly soul, as explained in the previous chapter, the G-dly soul also possesses three garments.
• What are the garments: The garments are:
  • Thought
  • Speech
  • Action
• The Taryag Mitzvos: When in reference to the G-dly soul, these garments find expression specifically when they are involved in the 613 commandments of the Torah, as we will now explain.

2.       Connecting one’s entire soul to the Torah through the Levushim:

• [Although in general the G-dly soul contains 10 aspects or traits, in detail it contains 613 spiritual limbs. Each of these 613 limbs yearn for, and require, a connection with G-d, which is accomplished through the study and fulfillment of Torah. The Alter Rebbe will now explain how this can be wholesomely accomplished for the entire soul.
• Using the garments to attach to G-d: Using his three G-dly soul garments of thought, speech, and action, a person is able to connect the entirety of his soul with the Torah. This is accomplished in the following way:
• Though, speech and action of Torah: When a person uses his physical body to actively fulfill all the physical commandments [i.e. Action] and uses his mouth to verbalize the Halachic details of all the 613 commands [i.e. Speech], and uses his mind to understand to the best of his capability all of the aspects of the Torah in its four levels of Peshat, Remez, Derush and Sod, then all 613 limbs of his G-dly soul become invested in the 613 commands of the Torah.
• [The Alter Rebbe will now break down this unity of one’s soul with the Torah into greater detail, dividing between the intellect and emotions of the G-dly soul.]

3.       How one’s intellect is invested within the Levushim of the soul:

• In detail, through doing the above, the intellectual attributes of Chochmah, Bina, and Daas [i.e. Chabad] of the G-dly soul become invested within the understanding of Torah, in whatever he is capable of comprehending.
• Every person has different intellectual capabilities of Torah: The potential comprehension of Torah that every soul can achieve in its four levels of Peshat, Remez, Derush and Sod, is personally designed in accordance with that soul’s intellectual capability and its soul root above [in the Sefiros of Atzilus].

4.       How one’s emotional attributes are invested within the Levushim of the soul:

• The emotional attributes of the G-dly soul, which is fear and love and their offshoots, are invested within the physical fulfillment of the Mitzvos that are accomplished through action, and through Torah study, which is accomplished through speech, and is equivalent to all the commandments.

5.       How love is invested in Mitzvah fulfillment:

• [The Alter Rebbe will now break down exactly how the emotions of love and fear is invested within Mitzvah fulfillment, first explaining how Mitzvah fulfillment requires love for G-d, and how love for G-d is only truly expressed with Mitzvah fulfillment.]
• Mitzvahs need love-Love is the catalyst of the 248 positive Mitzvahs: Love of G-d is the root of all the 248 positive commands and is the springboard for all Mitzvah fulfillment. Furthermore, [fulfilling Mitzvahs due to one’s love for G-d is so important that] without this emotion of love for G-d, the Mitzvah is not considered truly fulfilled by the person.^[1]
• Mitzvah fulfillment is in order to cleave to G-d: The reason [that the Mitzvah is not considered truly fulfilled if it was not motivated by love for G-d is because the true intent of the commands is to cleave to G-d^[2], and hence] it can only be considered that one has truly fulfilled the commands if he does so out of love for G-d and due to his desire to cleave to Him.
• Cleaving to G-d is not possible without Mitzvah fulfillment: Accordingly, a person who desires to cleave to G-d will fulfill the commands being that it is not possible to truly cleave to G-d without the fulfillment of the 248 commands which are referred to as the limbs of G-d [and hence by fulfilling the Mitzvah’s it is likened to one who has taken hold of the “body” of G-d and is embracing Him as an expression of his yearning and love].

6.       How fear is invested in Mitzvah observance:

• Fear is the catalyst of the 365 negative Mitzvas: Fear of G-d is the root of all the 365 negative commands and is the springboard for all its observance. This is expressed in one of two ways:
  • Fear: One fears rebelling against the king of all kings and hence observes the negative commands.
  • Shame/Busha: A deeper level of fear: One is ashamed to do something that is not in accordance with G-d’s will and cause Him disappointment.
• G-d hates the side of evil which live off the transgression of negative commands: The side of evil is despised by G-d and considered by Him as an abomination. Now, the side of evil receives its nurture through man’s transgressions of the negative commands, [and hence one who is ashamed to cause G-d disappointment, will avoid transgressing these negative commands which nurture the evil that G-d hates so much].

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[1] The words in the text is “Ein Lahen Kiyum Amiti” and can be translated as we stated above, or can be translated to simply mean that without love the Mitzvah fulfillment of the person will not be stable and everlasting, as when done for ulterior motives, a person is bound to stop doing it when the motives are no longer relevant.

[2] Just as the true reason for why a wife desires flowers from her husband is due to the love it expresses, so too the true reason G-d desires the fulfillment of Mitzvah’s is due to the love it expresses for Him. A Mitzvah without emotion is as empty as flowers without feelings.