Daily Tanya Sunday 23rd Adar Chapter 37 Part 1: The Shechina surrounds every Jew upon doing Torah and Mitzvos

Chapter 37: Dira Betachtonim-Accomplishing it through Torah and Mitzvos

23^rd Adar/(LY) 12^th Adar 2

1.      The revelation of the future era is dependent on our work now during exile:

• As stated in the previous chapter, the purpose of the world’s creation will become realized in the times of the Messiah and the resurrection in which there will be a revelation of the infinite light of G-d in this physical world.
• This future revelation of the infinite light of G-d in this world is dependent on our work and service of G-d throughout the times of exile.

2. The Mitzvah’s draw G-dliness to the physical objects used for their fulfillment:

• The reward of the Mitzvah is the Mitzvah itself: The explanation behind why the revelation of the future era is dependent on our service of G-d now during the exile is because the reward of the Mitzvah is the Mitzvah itself.
• The Mitzvah draws G-dliness below into objects that received from the side of evil: Every time one fulfills a Mitzvah one draws down the infinite light of G-d from above to below, to become invested in this physical world. This light of G-d invests itself within the pure and permitted items that one used to fulfill the Mitzvah which were previously under the rule of the side of evil and had received their vitality through evil. For example, the parchment which is used to write the Tefillin and Mezuzos and Torah scroll, and an Esrog which is used to shake Daled Minim on Sukkos, and charity which is distributed to the poor, which was previously under the rule of the side of evil, now becomes penetrated with holiness and G-dliness.
• Only pure and Kosher items can be elevated: Nonetheless, this ability to draw G-dliness below into the physical items only applies to items that are pure and kosher, as the sages teach us that only pure and kosher items that are permitted to be eaten can be used for the sake of the Mitzvah. Thus, only the parchment made of skin of a kosher animal, and an Esrog which is not Arla, is able to become penetrated with holiness and G-dliness through fulfillment of the Mitzvah.
• Gloss-The reason: The reason for this is because Arla [and all other forbidden items], comes from the three completely unclean Kelipos which can never be elevated. The same likewise applies to all Mitzvah’s that are fulfilled because of a transgression, that they cannot be elevated.

(LY) 13^th Adar 2

• Charity from money that has not been stolen: Likewise, only money which was not stolen and given to charity, is able to become penetrated with holiness and G-dliness through fulfillment of the Mitzvah.
• How the pure items become elevated through the Mitzvah: When one fulfills the will of G-d with a valid object, the vitality and energy found within that object becomes nullified and incorporated within the infinite light of G-d which is the will of G-d invested within this Mitzvah. This is able to be accomplished being that the Mitzvah’s which are the will of G-d do not conceal at all the infinite light of G-d.

3. The Mitzvah’s also elevate the animal soul:

• Aside from the elevation of the physical object used for the Mitzvah, the energy of the animal soul that is found within the limbs of the body which performs the Mitzvah is also elevated, as this energy participated in the fulfillment of the Mitzvah. This energy from the animal soul hence becomes elevated from the side of evil and becomes incorporated in the holiness of the Mitzvah which is the will of G-d and becomes nullified to the infinite light of G-d that is within the Mitzvah.
• Mitzvahs fulfilled through speech also elevate the animal soul: Furthermore, even those Mitzvos that are fulfilled through speech, such as the study of Torah and the recital of the Shema and prayer and the like, elevate the energy of the animal soul. Although there is no true physical action or object which is under the governance of the side of evil which is involved in these Mitzvos, nonetheless, speech does contain some element of action and hence has ability to elevate some of the energy of the animal soul.
• Speech is the action which elevates the animal soul: We find in Jewish law that speech is not like mere thought, and hence thought alone does not fulfill the speech related Mitzvah’s until he actually verbalizes them with his lips. On this the sages state that the movement of the lips are considered like an action which have the ability to elevate the animal soul.
• The G-dly soul alone cannot perform Mitzvos: The reason for this is because it is not possible for the G-dly soul to make the necessary bodily movements required for speech, such as the movement of the lips and mouth and tongue and teeth. This can only physically be done through the animal soul which is actually invested within the limbs of the body.
• The more intense the speech the greater the elevation of the energy of the animal soul: The more forcefully and intensely that one speaks when fulfilling the Mitzvah’s of speech, the more energy of his animal soul that is entered into this speech [and hence ends up elevating more of the energy of the animal soul]. Thus, Scripture states that one should speak with all his bones, and the sages teach us that only if the Torah is studied with all 248 of one’s limbs is it properly preserved, and if not studied in this manner than it is forgotten.
• Energy-less learning of Torah and prayer causes forgetfulness: [The reason the Torah can only be retained in one’s memory if he studies it with all 248 of his limbs is] because forgetfulness comes from the coarseness and evil of the body and animal soul which comes from Kelipas Noga which occasionally becomes elevated to holiness, [and hence when not all 248 of the limbs were involved in the study of Torah, these limbs will influence one to forget that which he learned. However], when one studies Torah or prays with all of his limbs, then they all become included within holiness, and are weakened, hence disabling their effect to cause one to forget his Torah learning.