Daily Tanya

Now, because the commandments were given to us by being vested in the attribute of gevurah and by the contraction of the [Divine] radiance…,

most commandments have a delimited measure.16

For instance, the length of the tzitzit must be twelve times the width of the thumb;17

the tefillin—two finger-breadths by two finger-breadths, according to the opinion of the Geonim quoted in the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch,18 and necessarily square;19

the lulav—four handbreadths;20 the Sukkah—seven handbreadths;21

the shofar—one handbreadth;22 and the mikveh—forty se’ahs.23

The sacrifices, too, have a delimited measure as regards age,

as, for instance, “sheep of one year old,”24 and “rams of two years old,”25 and “oxen….”26

The same applies to the act of charity and to the practice of kindness with one’s money;

even though that is one of the pillars upon which the world stands,27

as it is written: “The world is built by chesed,”28

nevertheless, it has a set measure of preferably one-fifth [of one’s income],29 if one desires to perform the commandment in the best possible manner,

and of one-tenth for an average measure30….

This is what is called “the chesed of the world.”

This means “the chesed of G-d that endures throughout the day,”31 which is vested in the higher and lower worlds

through the arousal from below that is generated by man’s service,

i.e., by the precepts of charity and kindness that people practice for each other.

However, because the world is finite and measured—

“From the earth to the heavens, there is a distance of 500 years, and likewise, from one heaven to another, [there is a distance of 500 years,]”32

and “Six thousand years shall the world exist…”33—

the Torah’s commandment of charity and kindness is also given a limit and measure,

as are the other commandments of the Torah.

However, this [limitation on charity] applies only to one who observes the Torah and does not depart from it to the right or left, even as much as a hair’s-breadth.

But as to him who has strayed from the path, Heaven forfend,

inasmuch as he has distorted his course, thus diminishing the supreme holiness,

that is, he has diminished its value as regards the efflux he could have elicited from G-d’s Divinity and the radiance [he could have elicited] from the [infinite] Ein Sof-light, had he observed the Torah and fulfilled it as required—

such distortion cannot be rectified except by an efflux of the supreme light that transcends the worlds without being vested in them.

This is what is called chesed ilaah (“superior kindness”) and rav chesed (“abundant kindness”),

because it radiates and diffuses infinitely, without limit and measure,

since it is not contracted within the worlds but encompasses them from above [in equal measure],

from the peak of all rungs to the end [of all rungs].

Now, when man draws it downward by means of his deeds and by an arousal from below,

this supreme light then radiates and extends within the worlds, rectifying all distortions and deficiencies caused in the kodesh ha’elyon,

and renewing their light and goodness with an intense elevation, on the level of a truly new light.

This is why the Sages taught that “In the place (i.e., at the level) where penitents stand, [even the perfectly righteous do not stand].”34