DYNAMICS OF TZEDAKA

Dear Family

Hope everyone is well

Mazal Tov to Dovi who won the Best Camper award at overnight Camp in Canada!

As was shown by the Research Project on Charity, unbeknown to ourselves there is a DYNAMIC which takes place in the brain on giving Charity

This is clearly explained in much deeper terms by the Alte Rebbe in Tanya, in the section Igeret Hakodesh, which we have been learning for the last few weeks and are still learning. (Tanya is translated into English if anyone is interested)

The Alte Rebbe explains Tzedaka very deeply and intricately according to Chassidus and it would be impossible to summarise it effectively.

But what I wanted to share is just the sense of the DYNAMIC MOVEMENTS which it causes between the body, the Heart, the Soul and Hashem.

This does not only apply to Tzedaka. It applies to all Mitzvos, but Tzedaka seems to be the most prime and powerful mover.

So here are some snippets

. Hashem, though He permeates all the upper and lower worlds from the peak of all levels to this lowly physical world, nevertheless He is also distinct and removed from all these worlds.

He animates all the worlds metaphorically speaking as a radiation shining from His Holy Name.....and reaches downwards by many immense contractions

This descent of this illumination is called the CHESED of the Lord.

. But which is the way man merits that the Truth of Hashem issues to this lowly dark world.. The arousal of great compassion before G-d also needs to be in Truth. But even when it is in Truth in human terms, how can this relative truth arouse this Supernal compassion from the truth of Hashem?

The advice for this IS THE TRAIT OF CHARITY - which is the attribute of compassion for one who has nothing of his own, to revive the spirit of the humble.

And the arousal from below elicits an arousal from Above

Hashem arouses the sleeping and awakens the unconscious.. to merge from concealment into manifestation and a great illumination, to radiate with the light of life into this world, the truth of G-d

.For in the heart (the element of Divine fire that is in the heart) there are 2 aspects - outer and inner

The outer is the enthusiasm that flares from the contemplation on the greatness of Hashem giving birth to a strong love

The inner is a point in the inward depth of the heart which transcends all knowledge and contemplation

And these areas get covered with thin and thick husks in a state of exile and captivity

It is necessary for man to perform 'milah' to remove these coarse and thin husks.....and this is done by the giving charity to G-d from the money which is his vitality, especially him who is very hard pressed, for he gives of his very life.

For he has earned from the toil of his hands, from the depth of his heart as is the way of the world in their occupations with business and the like.

And now when he disburses the fruits of his toil and gives unto the Lord with joy and gladness, he thereby redeems his soul from the pit ie he redeems the innermost point of his heart which was in a state of exile and captivity.

And TZEDAKA HAS THE POWER TO BRING MASHIACH

In the advent of Mashiach, because the hut of David has fallen to a level of 'feet' and 'heels' which is the level of ACTION, there is no way of truly cleaving unto it and to convert darkness into its light except through a corresponding category of ACTION, namely the ACT OF CHARITY

And whoever sacrifices his impulse and opens his hand and heart, subdues the sitra achra and converts the darkness into the light of G-d, and he will merit to see'eye to eye Hashem returning to Zion'

Wishing everyone a Gut Shabbos and a Kesiva Vechasima Tova for a year filled with light plus all other good.