Tanya 5th Nissan-Chapter 40: The effect that Love and Fear have on one’s Torah and Mitzvos

Chapter 40: The effect that Love and Fear have on one’s Torah and Mitzvos

(LY) 5^th Nissan

1. What happens to the Torah of one who learns it habitually, without love and fear:

• Does not become elevated to the Sefiros: Although a person who serves G-d out of habit has ability to eventually elevate his Torah learning to the Sefiros upon him re-studying these Torah sections Lishma [as explained in the end of the previous chapter], nonetheless, until he does so, his Torah learning is not elevated even to the 10 Sefiros which shine in the world of Yetzirah and Assiyah.
• The reason: The reason for this lack of elevation is because the Sefiros are a level of G-dliness in which the infinite light of G-d is invested in and actually united with. Now, without love and fear, the Torah learning cannot be elevated in front of G-d, as explicitly stated in the Zohar.
• Their elevation to the external worlds: Although Torah that was studied without love and fear does not get elevated to even the lowest world of Sefiros, nonetheless, it is elevated to the chambers and dwelling places, which is the external aspects of the spiritual worlds. [The Torah remains in this level until it is restudied Lishma.]
• The same level as that of the angels: The above level of elevation of habitual Torah study is to the same level in which the angels reside.
• Habitual Torah-Angels in Yetzirah; Habitual Mitzvos-Angels in Assiya: As states Rabbi Chaim Vital that Torah study without concentration creates angels in the world of Yetzirah while Mitzvah fulfillment without concentration creates angels in the world of Assiyah.
• It’s ability to create angels: Angels both have form and matter [and hence in order for them to be created as a result of one’s Torah learning and Mitzvah fulfillment, there must be some level of concentration involved in order to create their form, and hence we must conclude that the intent of “concentration” in the above statement is in reference to love and fear. This means to say that although Torah and Mitzvos with basic concentration create angels, they are not elevated to the Sefiros unless they contain the real concentration of love and fear.]
• Gloss-Every word of Torah breaks the heavens: The above follows the statement of the Zohar which states in numerous places that the words of speech of a person break through the heavens and arouse whatever they arouse, whether good or bad, and that words of Torah and prayer break the heavens and have a good affect.

2. What happens to the Torah of one who learns it for ulterior motives:

• Does not become elevated even to the chambers where angels reside: The above ability for Torah learning to be elevated to even the external worlds without love and fear, is only if it was studied habitually. However, if one studied it for actual ulterior motives, such as to be a Torah scholar and the like, then it is not elevated at all to the spiritual levels above, not even to the chambers and abodes of the Angels of holiness.
• Remains in the world of evil: Rather, such Torah learning remains down here below in this physical world, which is the abode of the side of evil, as stated in the Zohar that even the spiritual service of Torah study, if done for selfish reasons of glory remains under the sun.
• Praised is one who enters heaven with his Torah learning: Based on this we can understand the statement of the sages which praise one who enters the next world with his Torah learning in his hands. This is coming to say that praised is one who learned Torah for the correct motives and did not leave his Torah down here below in this world.

3. The reason Torah not Lishma is rejected from the upper worlds:

• Although the Torah and Hashem are one, as He and His will are one, [nonetheless, its ability to enter the spiritual realms through one’s study is still affected by one’s level of intent and concentration]. The reason for this is because in truth the entire world is filled with G-d’s glory, and nonetheless we still find that there is a difference between the various worlds.
• This difference is not due to the G-dliness itself, but rather due to those who receive the G-dliness.

4. The differences between the various worlds:

• The difference between the various worlds is in two aspects.
• First-Greater revelation: The first aspect of difference is that the upper worlds receive an infinitely greater revelation of G-dliness than do the lower worlds.
• Second – Less concealment: The second aspect of difference is that the upper worlds receive the revelation without the many garments of concealment that filter the G-dliness given to the lower worlds.

5. This physical world is the lowest in both aspects:

• This physical world is the lowest world in both of the above aspects. First off, the Divine revelation that is within it is very contracted to the utmost extreme, and for this reason this world is course and physical. Furthermore, even this contracted revelation is concealed with many garments and screens to the point that the G-dly revelation is able to be invested within the Kelipas Noga.
• The purpose of this concealment: The purpose of the above extreme level of contraction and concealment is for the sake of enlivening all of the pure items of this world which come from Kelipas Noga. Amongst these items, is also the speaking soul which is in charge of giving life and vitality to man [i.e. the animal soul].

6. The contrast in concealment of G-d in words of vanity versus words of Torah:

• No concealment of G-d’s holiness from letters of Torah and prayer: Even though these letters of Torah prayer are holy, and the level of Kelipas Noga that is within the animal soul does not conceal or separate at all between it and this holiness, to cover or conceal the holiness of G-d that is invested within it, nevertheless, they cannot be elevated without concentration.
• The concealment within words of vanity: The above is in contrast to when a person speaks words of vanity in which case the holiness of G-d that is within the animal becomes concealed from these words.
• The concealment within the soul of animals: The same applies regarding the animal soul of all the other pure animals, that the G-dliness that is within it is in a state of concealment.
• How can G-d be concealed if He is everywhere: Although G-d is found everywhere and there is no place devoid of Him, nonetheless, He is referred to as the “Hidden of all hidden” and is hence referred to as a hidden G-d/Keil Mistater. Furthermore, not only is G-d Himself hidden, but even the Divine ray and energy which is diffused from G-d is concealed in many powerful garments and screens to the point that it is able to become invested and concealed within the Kelipa of Noga.
• Why G-d is not concealed in the words of Torah and prayer: The above is all in contrast to the holy letters of Torah and prayer in which on the contrary, the Kelipas Noga itself is transformed into good and becomes incorporated within the side of holiness, as explained above in chapter 37.

7. The reason Torah not Lishma is rejected from the upper worlds:

• Returning to our original point, we can now explain why when a person studies Torah or prays without concentration, it does not become elevated even though we just finished explaining how the holiness of G-d is not concealed at all from the letters of Torah and prayer.
• The reason for this is because the Divine ray that is found within the spoken letters of Torah and prayer is in a state of contraction to the ultimate degree being that these letters are being recited with a physical sound and voice. [Hence, since the physical words said by a person contain concealment of G-dliness, therefore even words of Torah and prayer cannot be elevated without proper concentration, even though they intrinsically do not contain any concealment of G-dliness.]

8. The elevation of words of Torah and prayer which are said with concentration:

• However, words of prayer which are said with proper concentration and words of Torah which are studied for the sake of G-d, then this concentration becomes invested in these letters of speech being that it is the root and source of them and is the reason and cause for the recital of these letters.
• Concentration elevates the words to the Sefiros: Accordingly, this concentration has the ability to elevate these words to their proper place within the 10 Sefiros of the world of Yetzirah or Beriya, depending on the quality of the concentration as to whether it was recited with intellectual love and fear or natural love and fear, as explained above in chapter 39.
• The Divine revelation that occurs when the words are elevated: When the above words of Torah and prayer become elevated to the Sefiros due to proper concentration, they then experience a revelation of the infinite light of G-d, which is the Divine supernal will, which is invested in the letters of Torah which one learns and within its concentration, or within the words of prayer and its concentration, or within the fulfillment of a Mitzvah and its concentration. This revelation is an infinitely greater ray of G-dliness than the original revelation that it had in this world, which is completely incomparable on any measure, as it is not possible for this level of revelation to be revealed at all within it so long as the letters of Torah and prayer and the Mitzvah’s are within this physical world.
• In the future era: The above is with exception to the future era, at the end of all days, when the physical world will become elevated and the glory of G-d will become revealed, as explained in length in chapters 36 and 37. [At that time, there will be no concealment at all during one’s fulfillment of Torah and Mitzvahs, and elevation will not be necessary.]