Daily Tanya Chapter 37 Part 6: The greatness of Talmud Torah over all Mitzvos even Tzedaka (Tuesday, 28th Adar)

28^th Adar

2. The greatness of Talmud Torah:

• The sages state that the study of Torah is greater than all the other commands [which seems to contradict the above statement that the Mitzvah of charity is the greatest Mitzvah of all].
• Elevates the inner garments of thought and speech: The reason that Torah learning is the greatest of all Mitzvahs is due to the great elevation effected through learning Torah. When one performs a Mitzvah, he only elevates the external garments of his animal soul, which is the garment of action. However, when one learns Torah, he elevates his inner soul garments, which are speech and thought.
• Elevating the essence of the intellect of the animal soul: Furthermore, when learning Torah with intellectual depth one elevates not only his soul garments, but the essence of his Chabad/intellect which derive from the forces of Kelipas Noga of one’s animal soul. Through learning Torah in-depth, this intellect of the animal soul is now literally incorporated within holiness.
• Why the intellect can be elevated, but not the emotions: Although it has already been explained that it is not possible for a Beinoni to transform the essence of his character traits and emotions of Chesed, Gevura, Tiferes etc. into holiness, nonetheless, one is able to transform the essence of one’s intellect into holiness. The reason for this is because evil is more intense within one’s emotions than it is within intellect. This itself, that the evil is more intense in one’s emotions, is because it nurtures more from holiness.
• The study of Torah draws down greater G-dly revelation than Mitzvos: An additional reason, which is the most important of reasons, for why the study of Torah is greater than all the other commands is because one cannot compare the revelation of G-dliness that is drawn below through the fulfillment of a Mitzvah to the revelation of G-dliness drawn below through the study of Torah. Just as one cannot compare the amount of energy and vitality of the soul that is found in the 248 limbs to the amount of energy and vitality of the soul that is found in the intellect which is split to three aspects, Chochma Bina Daas, all the more so with a most infinite difference, one cannot compare the amount of revelation of the infinite light of G-d that is invested in the Mitzvahs, which are the 248 limbs of G-d, to the amount of G-dly revelation found in Torah which is His wisdom, the Chochma, Bina and Daas of Torah.
• The revelation is within each person according to his understanding: The illumination of G-dliness found within the study of Torah is in each person commensurate with his level of understanding [and hence the deeper and wider the level of understanding the more revelation he has in his Torah learning].
• The Torah is like water-In understanding the physical one grasps the spiritual: Although in the study of Torah below in our world one does not actually understand the wisdom of G-d above in the spiritual world, and his understanding is limited to its physical counterpart, nonetheless, the Torah is compared to water which travels from above to below [and hence even the Torah study of this physical world contains the same G-dly revelation].