6 “He who sows tzedakah has a ‘reward’ of truth” (Proverbs 11).1
ו "זוֹרֵעַ צְדָקָה שֶׂכֶר אֱמֶת" (בְּמִשְׁלֵי י"א).
This means that the attribute of truth is the (G‑d-given) reward for sowing tzedakah.
פֵּירוּשׁ, שֶׁשְּׂכַר זְרִיעַת הַצְּדָקָה הִיא מִדַּת אֱמֶת.
It is also written, “You give truth unto Jacob,”3 which would appear to indicate once again that the attribute of truth is granted from Above.
וּכְתִיב: "תִּתֵּן אֱמֶת לְיַעֲקֹב",
According to the commentaries of Rashi and Targum, however, this verse does not describe a state of affairs. Rather, it petitions that G‑d give truth (“Give truth unto Jacob”), that He fulfill for Jacob’s children the truthful promises that He had made to Jacob. Hence, this verse does not prove that the attribute of truth is a gift granted from Above.
The Alter Rebbe therefore goes on to specify that this verse is to be understood in the same light as the verse quoted at the outset of this epistle, as follows:
And [here] the prophet [Micah] speaks the praises of the Holy One, blessed be He, as is written in the holy Zohar.4 I.e., rather than petitioning G‑d, this verse extols Him for fulfilling his promise of granting the attribute of truth to Jacob.
וּ"שְׁבָחָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא־בְּרִיךְ־הוּא מְסַדֵּר נְבִיָּא כוּ'", כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בַּזּוֹהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ.
This means that it is the Holy One, blessed be He, Who gives the attribute of truth unto Jacob.
פֵּירוּשׁ, שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא הוּא הַנּוֹתֵן מִדַּת אֱמֶת לְיַעֲקֹב.
Now this needs to be understood: Does Jacob have no truth, heaven forfend, until the Holy One, blessed be He, gives it to him from above?
וְצָרִיךְ לְהָבִין, וְכִי אֵין אֱמֶת בְּיַעֲקֹב חַס וְשָׁלוֹם עַד שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא יִתֵּן לוֹ מִלְמַעְלָה?
However, it is well known that the attribute of Jacob is the attribute of compassion.5
אַךְ הִנֵּה מוּדַעַת זֹאת, דְּמִדַּת יַעֲקֹב הִיא מִדַּת רַחֲמָנוּת,
Abraham epitomizes chesed, the attribute of kindness; Isaac epitomizes gevurah, the attribute of severity; the predominant attribute of Jacob is tiferet, or rachamim, compassion. The inward aspect of the soul’s Divine service when motivated by chesed is—the love of G‑d; the inward aspect of the soul’s Divine service when motivated by gevurah is—the awe of G‑d; so, too, Divine service when motivated by compassion has its distinctive inward aspect:
And the service of G‑d through compassion
וַעֲבוֹדַת ה' בְּמִדַּת רַחֲמָנוּת
derives from the arousal, in a man’s heart, of profound compassion for the Divine spark in his soul,
הִיא הַבָּאָה מֵהִתְעוֹרְרוּת רַחֲמִים רַבִּים בְּלֵב הָאָדָם עַל נִיצוֹץ אֱלֹקוּת שֶׁבְּנַפְשׁוֹ,
which is distant from the light of G‑d’s Countenance whenever [the man] goes about in the darkness of the vanities of the world.
הָרְחוֹקָה מֵאוֹר פְּנֵי ה' כַּאֲשֶׁר הוֹלֵךְ בְּחֹשֶׁךְ הַבְלֵי עוֹלָם,
When a man finds himself straying forlorn in a state of spiritual darkness, he can thus awaken within himself a feeling of compassion for the soul-spark within him that he himself has banished from the light of its Divine Source.
This arousal of compassion itself derives from (and is proportionate to) [a man’s] understanding and deep cognition of the greatness of G‑d:
וְהִתְעוֹרְרוּת רַחֲמָנוּת זוֹ הִיא בָּאָה מֵהַתְּבוּנָה וְהַדַּעַת בִּגְדוּלַּת ה',
[He reflects upon] how even the most infinitely sublime worlds are considered as truly naught before Him,
אֵיךְ שֶׁאֲפִילוּ הָעוֹלָמוֹת הָעֶלְיוֹנִים לְמַעְלָה מַּעְלָה עַד אֵין קֵץ כְּלָא מַמָּשׁ חֲשִׁיבֵי קַמֵּיהּ,
for all their [G‑d-given] bounty and vitality derives from a mere ray and radiance of a single letter of His blessed Name,
כִּי כָּל שִׁפְעָם וְחַיּוּתָם אֵינוֹ רַק מִזִּיו וְהֶאָרָה מֵאוֹת אֶחָד מִשְּׁמוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ,
as it is written, “The World to Come was created [merely] by the letter yud [of the Divine Name].”6
כַּמַּאֲמָר: "בְּיוּ"ד נִבְרָא עוֹלָם־הַבָּא כוּ'".
The spiritual worlds, all of which are included in the term “World to Come,” were thus all created by means of the single letter yud of the Divine Name.
Now it is in this ray and radiance, which is an extension of the life-giving energy [that flows] from [G‑d’s] blessed Name to animate the higher and lower beings,
וְהִנֵּה, בְּזִיו וְהֶאָרָה זוֹ, שֶׁהוּא הִתְפַּשְּׁטוּת הַחַיּוּת מִשְּׁמוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ לְהַחֲיוֹת עֶלְיוֹנִים וְתַחְתּוֹנִים,
that there is a distinction and difference with respect to higher and lower beings,
הוּא שֶׁיֵּשׁ הֶבְדֵּל וְהֶפְרֵשׁ בֵּין עֶלְיוֹנִים לְתַחְתּוֹנִים,
so that “this world was created through the letter hey,” and so on, while the higher worlds were created through the letter yud.
שֶׁ"עוֹלָם הַזֶּה נִבְרָא בְּה' וְכוּ'",
As explained in the previous epistle, this lowly corporeal world receives its vitality only from the “matter” or “body” of the letters of supernal speech, which in turn derives from the letter hey of the Divine Name. The higher worlds, however, receive their vitality from the “form” or “soul” of these letters, and this derives from the level of chochmah, represented by the yud of the Divine Name. However, these different modes in which the life-giving influence of the Divine Name is diffused to the upper and lower worlds, respectively, relate only to the ray and radiance of the Divine Name; they do not relate to G‑d’s Essence.
(Moreover, any name is a mere radiance of the essence of the entity named. A person’s name, for example, is not his essence; it is merely a means of relating to another person. In the same way, the Divine Name is merely a radiance of the essence of the Divine.)
Until now, the Alter Rebbe has spoken in general terms of the differences between the higher and lower worlds.
Also, all the variety of details within each world
וְכֵן כָּל שִׁינּוּיֵי הַפְּרָטִים שֶׁבְּכָל עוֹלָם וְעוֹלָם
is determined by differences in the combinations of the letters through which they were created.
הוּא לְפִי שִׁינּוּיֵי צֵירוּפֵי הָאוֹתִיּוֹת,
So, too, the distinctions between the temporal dimensions of past, present, and future,
וְכֵן שִׁינּוּיֵי הַזְּמַנִּים בְּעָבָר הֹוֶה וְעָתִיד,
and all the variety of events throughout the changing times—
וְשִׁינּוּיֵי כָּל הַקּוֹרוֹת בְּחִילּוּפֵי הַזְּמַנִּים
all of these, too, are determined by differences in the combinations of the letters,
הַכֹּל מִשִּׁינּוּיֵי צֵירוּפֵי הָאוֹתִיּוֹת,
for [these combinations of letters] are the conduits of the life-giving force that proceeds from attributes of [G‑d] (Blessed be His Name),
שֶׁהֵן הֵן הַמְשָׁכַת הַחַיּוּת מִמִּדּוֹתָיו יִתְבָּרֵךְ שְׁמוֹ
(7as explained in Likkutei Amarim, Part II, ch. 11).
(כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר בְּלִקּוּטֵי אֲמָרִים חֵלֶק ב' פֶּרֶק י"א).
All the abovementioned differences are to be found only in the flow of vitality which emanates from G‑d’s attributes and which then descends through the letters of His creative speech.
But as for His blessed Being and Essence, it is written: “I, G‑d, have not changed”8 as a result of creation—
אֲבָל לְגַבֵּי מַהוּתוֹ וְעַצְמוּתוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ כְּתִיב: "אֲנִי ה' לֹא שָׁנִיתִי",
neither (a) in terms of changes in the progression from the uppermost of levels to the nethermost,
בֵּין בִּבְחִינַת שִׁינּוּיֵי הַהִשְׁתַּלְשְׁלוּת מֵרוּם הַמַּעֲלוֹת עַד לְמַטָּה מַטָּה,
for just as He is present in the higher worlds, so [is He present] in precisely the same measure in the nether worlds since from His perspective, there is absolutely no difference between them: all are equally distant from Him, “for no thought can apprehend Him at all, even in the higher worlds,”
שֶׁכְּמוֹ שֶׁהוּא יִתְבָּרֵךְ מָצוּי בָּעֶלְיוֹנִים – כָּךְ הוּא מַמָּשׁ בְּשָׁוֶה בַּתַּחְתּוֹנִים
(9as is explained in Likkutei Amarim, Part I, ch. 51),
(וּכְמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר בְּלִקּוּטֵי אֲמָרִים חֵלֶק א' פֶּרֶק נ"א),
The higher and lower worlds differ only in relation to the stream of life-giving energy that flows forth from Him: this vitality is more revealed in the higher worlds than in the lower.
nor (b) in terms of temporal changes [is there any difference from G‑d’s perspective],
וּבֵין בִּבְחִינַת שִׁינּוּיֵי הַזְּמַן,
for just as He was alone, one and unique, before the Six Days of Creation, so is He now after Creation.
שֶׁכְּמוֹ שֶׁהָיָה הוּא לְבַדּוֹ הוּא, יָחִיד וּמְיוּחָד, לִפְנֵי שֵׁשֶׁת יְמֵי בְרֵאשִׁית – כָּךְ הוּא עַתָּה אַחַר הַבְּרִיאָה,
But how can G‑d’s absolute unity remain unaltered, despite the advent of a whole created universe?
This is so because everything is absolutely as nothing and naught in relation to His being and essence,
וְהַיְינוּ, מִשּׁוּם שֶׁהַכֹּל כְּאַיִן וָאֶפֶס מַמָּשׁ לְגַבֵּי מַהוּתוֹ וְעַצְמוּתוֹ,
just as a single letter of a man’s speech, or even of his thought, [is of absolutely no consequence] in relation to the entire being and essence of the rational soul,
וּכְמוֹ אוֹת אֶחָד מִדִּבּוּרוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם אוֹ אֲפִילוּ מִמַּחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ לְגַבֵּי כְּלָלוּת מַהוּת הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַשִּׂכְלִית וְעַצְמוּתָהּ,
I.e., this is true not only of a letter of speech but also of thought, even though the soul-garment of thought is more abstract and subtle than speech and is thus closer to the soul.
It is the intellect of the rational soul that causes the emergence of the emotions; this, in turn, leads to thought and speech. Thus, in comparison to the essence of the soul itself, which transcends even intellect by far, one letter of speech or even of thought is of absolutely no consequence.
However, the above analogy is merely offered:
metaphorically speaking, to appease the ear, in order to give finite mortals some inkling of the insignificance of creation in the eyes of the Creator,
עַל דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל, לְשַׁכֵּךְ אֶת הָאֹזֶן,
while in fact, as it is written, “There is no comparison unto You.”10
וּבֶאֱמֶת "אֵין עֲרוֹךְ אֵלֶיךָ" כְּתִיב,
Unlike the single letter of thought or speech that bears some degree of comparison to the soul, albeit an infinitesimal one, creation stands in no proportion whatsoever to the Creator.
This is explained elsewhere (11in Likkutei Amarim, Part II, ch. 9); see there.
וּכְמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר (בְּלִקּוּטֵי אֲמָרִים חֵלֶק ב' פֶּרֶק ט') עַיֵּין שָׁם.
This underlies what we say in the prayers: “The King Who is exalted, alone from aforetime.”12
וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאוֹמְרִים: "הַמֶּלֶךְ הַמְרוֹמָם לְבַדּוֹ מֵאָז",
This means that just as aforetime, before the creation, He was alone, and apart from Him nothing existed,
פֵּירוּשׁ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁ"מֵּאָז" קוֹדֶם הַבְּרִיאָה הָיָה הוּא לְבַדּוֹ הוּא,
so is He now “exalted…and elevated beyond the days of the world.”
כָּךְ עַתָּה הוּא "מְרוֹמָם כוּ'" וּ"מִתְנַשֵּׂא מִימוֹת עוֹלָם",
This means that He is exalted and elevated, transcending the dimension of time, which is known as “the days of the world.”
פֵּירוּשׁ, שֶׁהוּא רָם וְנִשָּׂא לְמַעְלָה מַּעְלָה מִבְּחִינַת זְמַן הַנִּקְרָא בְּשֵׁם "יְמוֹת עוֹלָם",
This is so because the life-force of all “the days of the world,” the life-force of the dimension of time, derives solely from the spiritual level known as “the King,” i.e., from the sefirah of malchut,
וְהַיְינוּ לְפִי שֶׁחַיּוּת כָּל "יְמוֹת עוֹלָם" הוּא רַק מִבְּחִינַת "הַמֶּלֶךְ כוּ'",
The axis of past, present, and future—the element of time—relates only to the sefirah of malchut; concerning this level, we may differentiate between the phrases, “He reigned,” “He reigns,” and “He shall reign.” However, the sefirot and attributes that are above malchut transcend the element of time,
as is explained elsewhere.13
וּכְמוֹ שֶׁמְּבוֹאָר בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר.
Since G‑d utterly transcends creation, which is absolutely of no consequence in relation to His Essence:
It follows that there is extremely great cause to feel compassion for the spark, which is “a part of G‑d Above,”14 that dwells in the dark and gloomy body—the “hide of the snake.”15
וְאֵי לָזֹאת, הָרַחֲמָנוּת גְּדוֹלָה מְאֹד מְאֹד עַל הַנִּיצוֹץ הַשּׁוֹכֵן בַּגּוּף הֶחָשׁוּךְ וְהָאָפֵל, מַשְׁכָּא דְחִוְיָא,
For [the body] is liable to contract impurity by indulging in prohibited things that derive from the three utterly impure kelipot and to become defiled by various lusts (May the Merciful One spare us) involving things which, though permitted, derive from kelipat nogah,
הֶעָלוּל לְקַבֵּל טוּמְאָה וּלְהִתְגָּאֵל בְּכָל הַתַּאֲווֹת רַחֲמָנָא לִצְּלָן,
if not for G‑d’s serving the man as a shield,
לוּלֵי שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא מָגֵן לוֹ
and giving him strength and might to wage war with the body and its passions and to triumph over them.
וְנוֹתֵן לוֹ עוֹז וְתַעֲצוּמוֹת לִלְחוֹם עִם הַגּוּף וְתַאֲוֹתָיו וּלְנַצְּחָן,
Even when the body does not actually lust after physical pleasures, the very fact that it is so inclined points to its lowly state, and it is within such a body that the Divine spark is obliged to spend its days.
And this is the meaning of [the continuation of the prayer], “Master of our strength…, Shield of our salvation….”16
וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאוֹמְרִים: "אֲדוֹן עוּזֵּנוּ כוּ' מָגֵן יִשְׁעֵנוּ כוּ'".
After extolling G‑d as “the King who is exalted, alone from aforetime,” and beseeching Him in His “abundant mercies to have compassion on us,” we continue with the above-quoted phrases. With these words, we affirm that G‑d provides us with an encompassing light and power, far transcending man’s own puny powers, that enables us to triumph over the body and its passions.
Now, it is well known17 that there are two types of awe [of G‑d] and [two types] of love [of G‑d].
וְהִנֵּה מוּדַעַת זֹאת, דְּיֵשׁ ב' מִינֵי דְּחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ:
The first ones are born of an understanding and cognition of the greatness of G‑d. and of those matters that lead to the love of G‑d and to the fear of Him, such as G‑d’s closeness to the Jewish people.
הָרִאשׁוֹנוֹת, הֵן הַנּוֹלָדוֹת מֵהַתְּבוּנָה וְהַדַּעַת בִּגְדוּלַּת ה' וּבִדְבָרִים הַמְּבִיאִין לִידֵי אַהֲבַת ה' וְיִרְאָתוֹ,
The latter ones are those that come afterward, from Above, as a gift,
וְהָאַחֲרוֹנוֹת, הֵן הַבָּאוֹת אַחַר כָּךְ מִלְמַעְלָה בִּבְחִינַת מַתָּנָה,
After one has acquired a love and fear of G‑d as a result of his own contemplation, he is then granted from Above a heightened measure of love and fear.
as explained elsewhere18 in comment on the verse, “I shall grant [you] your priestly service as a gift.”19
וּכְמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר עַל פָּסוּק: "עֲבוֹדַת מַתָּנָה אֶתֵּן אֶת כְּהוּנַּתְכֶם",
This [priesthood] refers to the attribute of love,
שֶׁהִיא מִדַּת אַהֲבָה,
and it is likewise with regard to awe. I.e., there is a degree of fear of G‑d that is likewise granted as a gift from Above.
וְכֵן הוּא גַם כֵּן בְּיִּרְאָה.
Now, there is surely no comparison between the first ones, the lower levels of love and fear, which are the products of the created intellect,
וְהִנֵּה, וַדַּאי אֵין עֲרוֹךְ כְּלָל בֵּין הָרִאשׁוֹנוֹת שֶׁהֵן תּוֹלְדוֹת הַשֵּׂכֶל הַנִּבְרָא,
and the latter ones, which are [a gift] from the Creator, blessed be His Name.
לְגַבֵּי הָאַחֲרוֹנוֹת שֶׁהֵן מֵהַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרֵךְ שְׁמוֹ,
Just as there can be absolutely no comparison between Creator and created, so can there be no comparison between the love and fear generated by each of these two levels.
That is why it is these [latter degrees of love and fear] that are referred to as “truth,”
וְלָכֵן הֵן הֵן הַנִּקְרָאוֹת בְּשֵׁם "אֱמֶת",
for “the seal of the Holy One, blessed be He, is truth,”20
כִּי "חוֹתָמוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא אֱמֶת",
for He is the true Truth, and in relation to Him, all truth among created beings is considered as nothing.
שֶׁהוּא אֱמֶת הָאֲמִיתִּי, וְכָל הָאֱמֶת שֶׁבַּנִּבְרָאִים – כְּלָא חֲשִׁיבֵי קַמֵּיהּ.
Since G‑d is absolute truth, the love and fear that emanate from Him are deemed “truth” as well.
But which is the way whereby a man can merit [the loftier love and fear that are termed] “the truth of G‑d”?
אַךְ אֵיזֶה הַדֶּרֶךְ שֶׁיִּזְכֶּה הָאָדָם לֶ"אֱמֶת ה'",
It is by arousing great compassion in G‑d’s eyes for the spark in his soul.
הִנֵּה, הוּא עַל יְדֵי שֶׁיְּעוֹרֵר רַחֲמִים רַבִּים לִפְנֵי ה' עַל הַנִּיצוֹץ שֶׁבְּנַפְשׁוֹ,
This [attribute of compassion] is the attribute of Jacob, who “bolts from one end through to the other,”21
שֶׁהִיא מִדָּתוֹ שֶׁל יַעֲקֹב, "מַבְרִיחַ מֵהַקָּצֶה אֶל הַקָּצֶה",
that is, from the uppermost of all levels to the nethermost,
דְּהַיְינוּ מֵרוּם הַמַּעֲלוֹת עַד לְמַטָּה מַטָּה,
causing the “truth of G‑d” to flow to this lowly, dark world,
לְהַמְשִׁיךְ "אֱמֶת ה'" לָעוֹלָם הַשָּׁפָל הַזֶּה הֶחָשׁוּךְ,
as it is written, “When I sit in darkness, G‑d is a light unto me.”22
וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: "כִּי אֵשֵׁב בַּחֹשֶׁךְ ה' אוֹר לִי".
And this is the meaning of the phrase, “For His kindness has prevailed over us….”23
וְזֶהוּ "כִּי גָבַר עָלֵינוּ חַסְדּוֹ כוּ'".
I.e., G‑d’s kindness has prevailed over the darkness of this world, illuminating even that aspect of a man’s soul that is clothed within his body.
In answer to the question asked above, then, it is now clear that the way by which one can arrive at “G‑d’s truth” is by the arousal of Divine compassion.
However, [this] arousal of G‑d’s great compassion also needs to be done in truth,
אַךְ הִתְעוֹרְרוּת רַחֲמִים רַבִּים לִפְנֵי ה' צָרִיךְ לִהְיוֹת גַּם כֵּן בֶּאֱמֶת,
but even when it is true in mortal terms, how—by means of relative truth—can one arouse supernal compassion from the truth of G‑d?
וְגַם כְּשֶׁהוּא בֶּאֱמֶת שֶׁלּוֹ אֵיךְ יוּכַל עַל־יְדֵי אֱמֶת שֶׁלּוֹ לְעוֹרֵר רַחֲמִים עֶלְיוֹנִים מֵ"אֱמֶת ה'"?
The solution recommended for this is to practice the attribute of charity,
אַךְ הָעֵצָה לָזֶה הִיא – מִדַּת הַצְּדָקָה,
which is the attribute of compassion for he who has nothing of his own,
שֶׁהִיא מִדַּת הָרַחֲמִים עַל מַאן דְּלֵית לֵיהּ מִגַּרְמֵיהּ
to “revive the spirit of the lowly….”24
לְהַחֲיוֹת רוּחַ שְׁפָלִים כוּ',
And the arousal from below elicits an arousal from Above: G‑d “rouses those who sleep and awakens those who slumber”25;
וּבְאִתְעָרוּתָא דִלְתַתָּא – אִתְעָרוּתָא דִלְעֵילָּא, ה' מְעוֹרֵר יְשֵׁנִים וּמֵקִיץ נִרְדָּמִים,
[i.e., He rouses His] great compassion and the supernal attributes of kindness which are concealed,
הֵם בְּחִינַת רַחֲמִים רַבִּים וַחֲסָדִים עֶלְיוֹנִים הַנֶּעְלָמִים,
As with a sleeping person’s dormant soul-powers, “sleep” and (more deeply) “slumber” here signify two degrees of dormancy in the essentially concealed states of Divine compassion and kindness.
so that they emerge from concealment into manifestation and into a great illumination,
לָצֵאת מֵהַהֶעְלֵם אֶל הַגִּילּוּי וְהֶאָרָה רַבָּה,
so that [a man is] “illuminated with the light of life”26—with the “truth of G‑d unto the world.”27
"לֵאוֹר בְּאוֹר הַחַיִּים", "אֱמֶת ה' לְעוֹלָם".
This, then, is the meaning of the idiom of “sowing” related to charity, as in the verse with which this epistle opened, “He who sows charity…,” or as in the verse, “Sow for yourselves for charity…,”28
(וזה) [וְזֶהוּ] לְשׁוֹן זְרִיעָה הַנֶּאֱמַר בִּצְדָקָה,
one [thereby] causes the supernal truth, the truth of G‑d, to sprout, just as a plant that sprouts reveals that which was previously sown.
לְהַצְמִיחַ אֱמֶת הָעֶלְיוֹן, "אֱמֶת ה'".
[This is achieved] especially through acts of charity and true kindness that are done for the benefit of the Holy Land (May it be built and established speedily in our days, Amen!),
וּבִפְרָט, בִּצְדָקָה וָחֶסֶד שֶׁל אֱמֶת שֶׁעוֹשִׂים עִם אֶרֶץ הַקֹּדֶשׁ תִּבָּנֶה וְתִכּוֹנֵן בִּמְהֵרָה בְיָמֵינוּ אָמֵן,
thereby realizing the verse, “Truth shall sprout forth from the land,”29 where ‘land’ alludes both to the Land of Israel here below and to the sefirah of malchut Above,
לְקַיֵּים מַה שֶׁכָּתוּב: "אֱמֶת מֵאֶרֶץ תִּצְמָח",
by sowing charity in it.
עַל־יְדֵי זְרִיעַת הַצְּדָקָה בָּהּ,
And the kindness and great compassion that are gathered into it and gleaned in it,
וְחֶסֶד וְרַחֲמִים רַבִּים הַנֶּאֱסָפִים וְנִלְקָטִים לְתוֹכָהּ,
correspondingly arouse the supreme graces that are hidden and concealed30,
הֵם מְעוֹרְרִים גַּם כֵּן חֲסָדִים עֶלְיוֹנִים הַצְּפוּנִים וְנֶעְלָמִים (בנוסח אחר: בָּהּ),
as it is written, “[How great is Your kindness] which You have hidden…,”31
כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: "אֲשֶׁר צָפַנְתָּ כוּ'"
so that [the land] is established and set up firmly.
לְכוֹנְנָהּ וְלַהֲקִימָהּ.
Both Eretz Yisrael and the sefirah of malchut of Atzilut must be buttressed; the latter because of its descent in order to serve as a source of created beings that are lower than the World of Atzilut.
And of this it is written, “Through tzedakah shall you be firmly established,”32 referring to the establishment of the “Congregation of Israel” here below as well as to its spiritual counterpart Above—the sefirah of malchut of Atzilut, which is also known by the same name.
וְזֶהוּ שֶׁכָּתוּב: "בִּצְדָקָה תִּכּוֹנָנִי":
The term “this means” is generally used to forestall an alternative interpretation. Here, too, by this term, the Alter Rebbe stresses that we are to understand the Hebrew word secher to mean “reward” rather than its being understood to mean “closing off and restraining” (water or whatever, in order to concentrate it). The latter interpretation is that of Rashi; a parallel term is the word וַיִּסָּכְרוּ in the verse, “And the wellsprings of the deep were sealed.”2
Furthermore, even the Targum and other commentaries who do read secher to mean “payment of a reward” can be understood to mean that the individual who sows charity receives a true reward, i.e., an everlasting reward, rather than a reward that consists of truth.
The Alter Rebbe therefore specifies: “This means” that the reward granted from above for sowing tzedakah is the attribute of truth.