Daily Tanya – Chapter 23 Part 1: The unity of G-d with His Mitzvos & the unity achieved with Mitzvah performance (Thursday, 11th Shevat)

Chapter 23: The unity of G-d with His Mitzvos & the unity achieved with Mitzvah performance

1. The Mitzvahs are G-d’s inner will which enlivens the worlds:

• G-d is one with His Torah and Mitzvahs: Based on all that was explained in the previous chapters, we can more clearly and deeply understand what it says in the Zohar that the Torah and G-d are one and united, and that the 248 commands are the limbs of the king, of G-d.
• The Mitzvahs are G-d’s inner will which enlivens the worlds: The Mitzvahs are the inner will of G-d and His true desire. It is this inner will for the Mitzvahs that is invested within all the upper and lower worlds to give them life.
• The world’s energy is dependent on our Mitzvahs: This is expressed in the fact that all of the Divine energy which is received by the worlds is dependent on the performance of the Mitzvahs by those living below, as is well known.

2.      The Mitzvahs are considered the limbs of G-d:

• Mitzvos garb the inner will of Hashem like a limb enclothes the soul: It is thus found that the performance of the commands is the inner garment for the inner will of G-d, as it is the actions of the Mitzvahs which draw down the Divine light and energy to then be invested within the worlds to enliven them.
• The Mitzvahs are the limbs of the king: It is for this reason, that the Mitzvahs are called limbs of the king. Just as the limbs of the body of a human garb and enclothes the soul, which is inside it, so too, the Mitzvahs garb and enclothe within them the inner will of G-d.

• Limbs are nullified to the soul: Furthermore, just as the limbs of a person are completely nullified to the soul that is in them, so too, it is with the Mitzvahs. This can be readily seen by the fact that as soon as a person wills and desires to move his hand or foot, these limbs immediately abide by the will of the soul without any delay. It’s not even necessary to command or instruct the limb to do so, and it does so automatically at the very moment that one wills and desires its movement.

3. Mitzvahs, and the G-dly soul, and limbs of the body, are nullified to the will of G-d:

• Mitzvahs are nullified to G-d’s will: Just as the limbs of the physical body is completely nullified to the persons will, so too the energy that is found in the physical commandments and their fulfillment is completely nullified to the Divine will that is found in them.
• Like body and soul: This energy found in the Mitzvahs is so much nullified to the Divine will that it is like a body which is nullified to the soul, which refers to the will of G-d.
• Power of action of G-dly soul is nullified to the will of G-d: The external garment of the G-dly soul of a person, which refers to its power of action which does and fulfills the Mitzvah, is also nullified to the Divine will. The reason for this is because at the time that one fulfills the Mitzvah he invests his power of action of his G-dly soul within the energy of the action of the Mitzvah. Consequently, this causes that also his power of action of his G-dly soul become a body for the soul which is the Divine will and is completely nullified to it.
• Limbs of the body become a chariot for the Divine will: Accordingly, it is found that also the physical limb of the person which fulfills the Mitzvah, in which the power of action of the G-dly soul is invested during the fulfillment of the Mitzvah, becomes an actual chariot for the Divine will. For example, when the hand distributes charity to a pauper, or performs another Mitzvah, and when the feet walk to fulfill a Mitzvah, and when the mouth and tongue speaks words of Torah, and when the brain thinks words of Torah and of fear of heaven and the greatness of G-d, then these limbs become a chariot for G-d’s Divine will.
• The patriarchs are chariots of G-d: It is due to the above that the sages described our forefathers as being a chariot for G-d, as all of their lives were completely holy and sanctified for the sake of fulfilling G-d’s will and separated from all mundane matters of this world.