Daily Tanya Tuesday 8th Iyar Chapter 45 Part 2: Arousing love through mercy

8th Iyar

1. Yaakov kissing Rachel-Arousing Divine mercy for the Shechinah:

• Based on all the above one can understand the verse^[1] which states that Yaakov Avinu kissed Rachel and raised his voice in weeping.
• Rachel corresponds to the souls of Israel: Rachel represents Kneses Yisrael, the general souls of Israel, and the source of all the Jewish souls.
• Yaakov crying represents the arousing of mercy: Now, Yaakov in his supernal attribute, which is the attribute of mercy [of Atzilus known as Av Harachaman], aroused great compassion upon her. He then raised his voice which represents raising his voice [i.e. his lower level of mercy of Atzilus] towards the source of the supernal mercy which is called Av Harachamim [and is the source of the 13 attributes of mercy].
• The mercy raises the Divine presence from exile: He cried in order to arouse and draw down from there great mercy upon all the souls, and upon the source of the Jewish souls and to then raise them from their exile and unite them with the supernal unity of the light of the Ein Sof, to the level of unity defined as kisses.
• The attachment represented in the act of kissing: Kissing represents an attachment of the soul of one person with the soul of another and is a very deep level of attachment. This is the level that Yaakov desired to achieve, as the verse^[2] states “Let Him kiss me with the kisses of the mouth.”

2. How to achieve the level of “kissing” G-d:

• The study of Jewish law: The level of kissing is accomplished through learning Halacha. The union affected between one’s speech and the speech of G-d when one studies the word of G-d which is Halacha is similar to the attachment of a kiss where the breaths attach.
• Thoughts of Torah and Mitzvah performance: Likewise, thinking words of Torah attach one’s thought to Hashem’s thought, and performing actions of Mitzvahs attaches one’s actions to Hashem’s actions.
• Charity: This especially applies towards performing Tzedakah and acts of kindness, as Chesed is the right arm of Hashem and by one practicing it, he is literally entering an embrace with Him, as it states^[3] “And His right arm embraces Me” Likewise, when one learns Torah in speech and in deep thought it is the actual level of kissing.

3. Arousing love through mercy:

• Through one practicing the above meditation in arousing mercy for the G-dliness in one’s soul, one can reach a state of great love, Ahava Raba, which is conscious within his heart, as the verse^[4] states “To Yaakov who redeemed Avraham.” [Meaning, that the attribute of Yaakov, which is mercy, redeems the attribute of Avraham which is love.]

[1] Bereishis 29:11

[2] Shir Hashirim 1:2

[3] Shir Hashirim 2:6

[4] Yeshayahu 29:22