Tanya Part 3 Chapter 9
By Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi
Translation and Commentary by Rabbi Gedalia Potash and William Schecter MD
December 30, 2022
This draft has been neither edited nor approved by Rabbi Potash
The explanation of the issue (supernal repentance) is as written in the Holy Zohar and the Tikunim in several places. Binah (the midah of Understanding) is supernal Tshuvah (repentance), “The mother covers her fledglings” (Deuteronomy 22:6).
Comment: The Elter Rebbe quotes this passage because the 6 emotional attributes (Chesed, Gvurah, Tiferet, Nezach, Hod and Yesod) are said to derived from Binah. In this sense, Binah is a mother to the 6 emotional attributes.
Meaning that contemplation of G-d’s Greatness with the depth of Da’at (the midah of Knowledge) gives birth from the spirit of his Binah to the intellectual Awe and Love as is said “to love the L-rd your G-d” with good reason and knowledge because “He is your life etc.” (Deuteronomy 30:20)
Comment: The attribute of knowledge (Da’at) expands and implements Binah (understanding giving birth to intellectual Awe and Knowledge of the Greatness of G-d
The hidden natural love is not enough for him and so awe and fear shame are also insufficient. Binah which gives birth to cognitive love with the assistance of Binah is therefore called “the mother hovering over the fledglings.” And the essence of the love is one spirit cleaving to another as is written “Kiss me with the kisses of his mouth etc.” (Song of Songs 1:2). As is known it is said in the Shm’a “with all your soul”, they are all the parts of the soul: the intellectual midot (attributes), and their garments: thought, speech and action –so that all of them cleave to G-d.
Comment: All the elements of the soul cleave to G-d when cognitive love is achieved.
Meaning that man’s Midot cleave to the Midot of G-d, we should be compassionate “Just as G-d is compassion etc.”
And man’s intellect to G-d’s Intellect and Wisdom (Chakma). And man’s speech to the Word of G-d, which is Halacha (Jewish Law) as it is written “And I will place the words in your mouth” (Isaiah 51:16) and “the words which I placed in your mouth” (Isaiah 59:21).
And the action is the act of Tzedakah (giving charity) to give life to the spirit of the suppressed as it is written “Because the L-rd made the Heavens and the earth in six days and on the seventh day He rested” as is known elsewhere.
This is the meaning of “the cleaving of one spirit to another” in the ultimate union and unity when it is due to love etc. And according to the defect in the covenant when “seed is spilled”, and it is not necessary to say with sexual impropriety or the other types of sexual relations forbidden by the Torah or the Rabbis (because the decrees of the Rabbis are more stringent), these actions blemish the mind and therefore its repair is done by engaging in Torah study from which emerges by wisdom.
This is what the Tanah Dvai Elihu said
Comment: Dvai Elihu is an Aramaic expression meaning the House of Eliahu, that is Eliahu and his progeny.
“A man who commits a sin punishable by death from the Heavens, what will he do to live? If he regularly studied one page of Talmud, let him study two pages, if he is accustomed to study one chapter of Torah, let him learn two etc.” Meaning, by analogy, that if a rope that is cut and then retied one doubles the knot as in “חֶבֶל נַחֲלָתוֹ” (the allotment of His inheritance) (Deuteronomy 32:9)
Comment: We have learned in previous chapters that there is a metaphorical rope connecting the G-dly soul of each Jew to its source in the Ein Sof (the Eternal Light) and that this rope is composed of 613 strands corresponding to the 613 commandments in the Torah. When one transgresses, one breaks one of the strands weakening the rope. Many sins cause the rope to break. Alternatively one of the sins punishable by death from the Heavens will cause the entire rope to break. Achieving supernal Tsuvah (repentance) is analogous to repairing the rope. When one opens one heart truly to G-d and unites with Him, the sin can be forgiven. This is analogous to the knot in the rope which makes it stronger.
And this is what is meant by “With Love and Truth the transgression will be forgiven etc.” And the truth is none other than the Torah etc.”. “Sin in the House of Ali will not be forgiven by sacrifice and grain offerings but by Torah and acts of loving kindness” as is said at the end of the first Chapter of Rosh HaShana.
וּבֵיאוּר הָעִנְיָן, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בַּזּוֹהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ וְתִיקּוּנִים בְּכַמָּה מְקוֹמוֹת, דְּבִינָה – אִיהִי תְּשׁוּבָה עִילָּאָה, ״וְהָאֵם רוֹבֶצֶת עַל הָאֶפְרוֹחִים״ וְכוּ׳.
דְּהַיְינוּ, שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי שֶׁמִּתְבּוֹנֵן בִּגְדוּלַּת ה׳ בְּהַעֲמָקַת הַדַּעַת, וּמוֹלִיד מֵרוּחַ בִּינָתוֹ דְּחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ שִׂכְלִיִּים, וּבְטוּב טַעַם וָדַעַת, כָּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״לְאַהֲבָה אֶת ה׳ אֱלֹקֶיךָ״, מִשּׁוּם ״כִּי הוּא חַיֶּיךָ וְגוֹ׳״, וְלֹא דַי לוֹ בְּאַהֲבָה טִבְעִית הַמְסוּתֶּרֶת לְבַד וְכוּ׳, וְכֵן בְּיִרְאָה וָפַחַד אוֹ בּוּשָׁה וְכוּ׳, כַּנּוֹדָע – אֲזַי נִקְרֵאת ״הָאֵם רוֹבֶצֶת עַל הָאֶפְרוֹחִים״ וְכוּ׳.
וְהִנֵּה, עִיקַּר הָאַהֲבָה הִיא ״אִתְדַּבְּקוּת רוּחָא בְּרוּחָא״ כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: ״יִשָּׁקֵנִי מִנְּשִׁיקוֹת פִּיהוּ וְגוֹ׳״, כַּנּוֹדָע. וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר: ״וּבְכָל נַפְשְׁךָ״, שֶׁהֵם הֵם כָּל חֶלְקֵי הַנֶּפֶשׁ: שֵׂכֶל וּמִדּוֹת, וּלְבוּשֵׁיהֶם: מַחֲשָׁבָה דִּיבּוּר וּמַעֲשֶׂה, לְדָבְקָה כוּלָּן בּוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ.
דְּהַיְינוּ, הַמִּדּוֹת – בְּמִדּוֹתָיו יִתְבָּרֵךְ, ״מַה הוּא רַחוּם וְכוּ׳״.
וְהַשֵּׂכֶל – בְּשִׂכְלוֹ וְחָכְמָתוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ, הוּא עִיּוּן הַתּוֹרָה, דְּ״אוֹרַיְיתָא מֵחָכְמָה נָפְקָא״:
וְכֵן הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה – בְּמַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ: וְהַדִּיבּוּר – בִּדְבַר ה׳, זוֹ הֲלָכָה, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: ״וָאָשִׂים דְּבָרַי בְּפִיךָ״, ״וּדְבָרַי אֲשֶׁר שַׂמְתִּי בְּפִיךָ״:
וְהַמַּעֲשֶׂה – הוּא מַעֲשֵׂה הַצְּדָקָה, לְהַחֲיוֹת רוּחַ שְׁפָלִים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: ״כִּי שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים עָשָׂה ה׳ וְגוֹ׳״, כַּנּוֹדָע בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר.
וְזוֹ הִיא ״אִתְדַּבְּקוּת דְּרוּחָא בְּרוּחָא״ בְּתַכְלִית הַדְּבֵיקוּת וְהַיִּחוּד, כְּשֶׁהִיא מֵחֲמַת אַהֲבָה וְכוּ׳. וּלְפִי שֶׁפְּגַם הַבְּרִית בְּהוֹצָאַת זֶרַע לְבַטָּלָה, וְאֵין צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר בַּעֲרָיוֹת, אוֹ שְׁאָר אִיסּוּרֵי בִּיאָה דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא אוֹ דְרַבָּנָן (כִּי חֲמוּרִים דִּבְרֵי סוֹפְרִים וְכוּ׳) פּוֹגֵם בַּמּוֹחַ, לָכֵן תִּיקּוּנוֹ הוּא דְּיִתְעַסֵּק בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּמֵחָכְמָה נָפְקָא.
וְזֶהוּ שֶׁכָּתוּב בְּתָנָא דְבֵי אֵלִיָּהוּ: ״אָדָם עָבַר עֲבֵירָה וְנִתְחַיֵּיב מִיתָה לַמָּקוֹם, מַה יַּעֲשֶׂה וְיִחְיֶה? אִם הָיָה רָגִיל לִקְרוֹת דַּף אֶחָד – יִקְרָא ב׳ דַּפִּים, לִשְׁנוֹת פֶּרֶק אֶחָד – יִשְׁנֶה ב׳ פְּרָקִים וְכוּ׳״. וְהַיְינוּ, כִּמְשַׁל חֶבֶל הַנִּפְסָק וְחוֹזֵר וְקוֹשְׁרוֹ, שֶׁבִּמְקוֹם הַקֶּשֶׁר הוּא כָּפוּל וּמְכוּפָּל, וְכָכָה הוּא בְּ״חֶבֶל נַחֲלָתוֹ״ וְכוּ׳.
וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: ״בְּחֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת יְכוּפַּר עָוֹן וְגוֹ׳״, ״וְאֵין אֱמֶת אֶלָּא תּוֹרָה וְכוּ׳״.
וַ״עֲוֹן בֵּית עֵלִי בְּזֶבַח וּמִנְחָה הוּא דְאֵינוֹ מִתְכַּפֵּר – אֲבָל מִתְכַּפֵּר בְּתוֹרָה וּגְמִילוּת חֲסָדִים״, כִּדְאִיתָא בְּסוֹף פֶּרֶק קַמָּא דְרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה: