Daily Tanya Thursday 27th Adar Chapter 37 Part 5: Tzedaka is the greatest Mitzvah that has ability to elevate the world and animal soul

27^th Adar/(LY) 20^th Adar 2

2. Charity-The greatest of the Mitzvahs which elevates the entire animal soul:

• Charity is equal to all the other Mitzvahs: Based on the above, we can now understand why the sages praised and extolled the virtue of charity to such a great extent even stating that it is equal in weight to all the other Mitzvahs. In fact, throughout the entire Jerusalem Talmud the word Mitzvah refers to this Mitzvah of charity.
• Charity is the main Mitzvah of the Mitzvah’s: The reason for this great virtue of charity is because it is considered the main Mitzvah of the practical Mitzvahs and surpasses them all.
• Charity elevates the entire animal soul: The purpose of all the Mitzvah’s is simply to elevate the animal soul which fulfills them and is invested in them, and have it be incorporated within the infinite light of G-d which is invested within them. Now, there is no greater Mitzvah than the Mitzvah of charity in which the animal soul is so invested, and hence the elevation of the animal soul affected by charity is much greater than any other Mitzvah. By all other Mitzvah’s, there’s only one soul power of the animal soul that is invested within the fulfillment of that Mitzvah, and thereby elevated, and even then, it is only elevated during the actual fulfillment of the Mitzvah itself. However, by the Mitzvah of charity a person invests all of his energy, as all of his energy was invested in earning the income which he now has donated to charity. Hence, when he now donates his hard-earned money to charity, all of the energy of his animal soul becomes elevated to G-d.
• One who earns money effortlessly: Even one who earns money effortlessly is considered to be investing and elevating his entire animal soul with his donation, being that he could have used this money to purchase necessary bodily needs. It is thus found that he is donating the life of his soul to G-d.
• Hastens the redemption: It is due to this reason that the sages state that charity hastens the redemption, as when one donates to charity one elevates a great amount of energy of his animal soul. This energy would not have been able to be elevated in any other way, even in the fulfillment of many other Mitzvahs.