The Alter Rebbe now returns to the verse:
“מָה רַב טוּבְךָ אֲשֶׁר צָפַנְתָּ לִירֵאֶיךָ“
“How great is Your goodness that You have hidden away for those who fear You.”
His point is subtle: the souls whose main path is yirah, restraint, and limitation, possess an enormous hidden goodness that is not immediately visible.
- “Those Who Fear You” Are the Souls of the Left Side
Earlier he explained two spiritual types:
- Yemin (Right) – revealed kindness, expansiveness.
- Smol (Left) – restraint, discipline, concealment.
Here he identifies:
“ליראיך“ (“those who fear You”)
with souls whose root is in the side of yirah and gevurah, similar to the approach of Beit Shammai.
On the surface they appear more guarded, measured, and restrictive.
- Their Kindness Is Hidden, Not Missing
David HaMelech says:
“מה רב טובך“ — “How great is Your goodness.”
The Alter Rebbe explains:
The goodness of these souls is not absent.
It is:
“צפנת“ — hidden away.
Their chesed exists in concealment rather than open expression.
Therefore one should not think that the person of yirah possesses less goodness than the person of open kindness.
The goodness is equally great—it is simply hidden.
- Both Types Ultimately Possess Infinite Goodness
The Alter Rebbe emphasizes:
Whether the goodness is:
- Hidden (“אשר צפנת ליראיך”), or
- Revealed (“פעלת לחוסים בך”),
both stem from a source beyond measure.
Thus both contain a goodness that is:
“בלי גבול ומדה“
without limit.
The difference lies only in how it appears.
- Why Does the Verse Say “For Those Who Fear You”?
The Alter Rebbe carefully notes that the verse says:
“אשר צפנת ליראיך“
and not:
“ביראיך” (“within those who fear You”).
Because the hidden goodness is not fully revealed within the person’s conscious mind and heart.
Rather, it remains above him in a concealed state.
In Chassidic language it functions as a makif—a surrounding spiritual force.
At special moments it can shine into the person’s heart and motivate action.
- David’s Prayer
David’s point is:
Since the Jewish people possess such enormous goodness—whether hidden or revealed—
Hashem should respond in kind.
Therefore he asks that Hashem reveal:
“רב חסד“
abundant, unlimited kindness.
- The Difference Between “Chesed Olam” and “Rav Chesed”
The Alter Rebbe repeats a distinction he developed earlier:
Chesed Olam
A kindness that operates within the structure of the worlds.
Because it functions inside the system, it can be limited by judgment and measure.
Rav Chesed
A higher kindness beyond limitation.
No opposing force of judgment can reduce it.
It flows without measure.
- Its Source Is Keter
This unlimited kindness comes from a level above the worlds:
“סובב כל עלמין“
“That which encompasses all worlds.”
and
“טמירא דכל טמירין“
“The hidden of all hidden things.”
This is the level called:
“כתר עליון“ (Supernal Keter).
Because it transcends the entire system of measure and judgment, it can bestow kindness without limit.
- The Practical Conclusion of the Letter
The Alter Rebbe now turns from explanation to application.
He tells his chassidim:
Just as there is immense hidden goodness within every Jew,
that hidden goodness should be brought:
“מן ההעלם אל הגילוי“
from concealment into revelation.
And how should it be revealed?
“לבא לידי מעשה“
through actual deeds.
In context, he is encouraging generous support of tzedakah and the causes for which he is collecting.
Key Peshat
The main point of this letter is that some Jews express goodness openly, while others keep it concealed within fear, discipline, and restraint. David HaMelech teaches that the hidden goodness is no less vast than the revealed goodness. Since the Jewish people possess both hidden and revealed goodness, Hashem should reveal His own boundless “Rav Chesed,” and each Jew should reveal his hidden goodness through concrete acts of tzedakah and kindness.