Daily Tanya Thursday 5th Nissan Chapter 38 Part 4: The advantage of Kavana over Maaseh

5^th Nissan/(LY) 25^th Adar 2

2. The reason the Kavana of a Mitzvah draws down a much greater G-dly revelation:

• The Kavana of a Mitzvah, which is the Dveikus of the mind and intellect to Hashem, is not in it of itself greater than the Dveikus achieved through the actual physical fulfillment of the Mitzvah. Rather, it is due to the fact that also the Kavana of the Mitzvah is the will of Hashem that its Dveikus is greater, as Hashem desires that one attach one’s mind and intellect to Him through the intent of the physical Mitzvos, and the intent of Kerias Shema, Tefila and the other blessings.
• Now, the ray of Divine will which shines and is invested in the intent is infinitely greater than the ray of the Divine will that shines and is invested in the physical Mitzvos of action and speech themselves, when done without intent.

3. Like a soul versus the body:

• The advantage of the Divine revelation in the Kavana of the Mitzvah is like the advantage of the soul over the body. The body is simply a vessel and garment for the soul, and so too the body of the Mitzvah itself is a vessel and garment for the intent.

4. The Divine will is the same in the action and Kavana of the Mitzvah, however the revelation is different:

• In both the physical action of the Mitzvah and the intent of the mind, is invested the same will of Hashem which is undefined and has no change or plurality Heaven Forbid.
• Divine will is united with essence of Hashem: This Divine will is united with the essence of Hashem in the most absolute unity.
• Divine rays are not equal in them both: Nonetheless, the Divine ray is not equal in them both, in terms of their contraction and dissipation.
• Gloss-Or versus Keli: (As it states in Eitz Chaim that the Kavana’s of the Mitzvos, and the learning of Torah, is the aspect of Divine light, while the actual Mitzvos are the level of vessels which are contracted, as through the contraction of the light comes the vessels.)

5. The four levels in the actions and Kavanos of the Mitzvos:

• The Mitzvos and its Kavana are split to four levels [just as the creations of the world].
• Action of the Mitzvah: The actual physical Mitzvah themselves contain two levels which are 1) the Mitzvos that contain action and 2) the Mitzvos that are fulfilled through speech and thought, such as Talmud Torah, Tefila, Birchas Hamazon and other blessings.
• Kavana of the Mitzvah: The Kavanos of the Mitzvos is likewise split to two levels just as there exists two levels of souls in the animal and human body, 1) the soul of animals and 2) the soul of humans.