Tanya/ Iggeres Ha’Kodesh - The Holy Epistle, Epistle 17, Class 3
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However, the choice of the singular form of “Your commandment” alludes to the mitzvah of tzedakah, which is truly G‑d’s mitzvah, the mitzvah He performs Himself,
אֶלָּא: "מִצְוָתְךָ" דַיְיקָא, הִיא מִצְוַת הַצְּדָקָה, שֶׁהִיא מִצְוַת ה' מַמָּשׁ,
which the Holy One Himself, blessed be He, in all His majesty, performs at all times by animating the worlds,
מַה שֶּׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא בִּכְבוֹדוֹ וּבְעַצְמוֹ עוֹשֶׂה תָּמִיד לְהַחֲיוֹת הָעוֹלָמוֹת,
and will do so in the future with exceeding magnitude and intensity.
וְיַעֲשֶׂה לֶעָתִיד בְּיֶתֶר שְׂאֵת וָעֹז,
It is likewise written, “And they shall observe the path of G‑d to do tzedakah…”8; i.e., tzedakah is here described as G‑d’s path.
וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: "וְשָׁמְרוּ דֶּרֶךְ ה' לַעֲשׂוֹת צְדָקָה כוּ'",
Metaphorically speaking, like a road on which one travels from one town to another,
כְּמוֹ דֶּרֶךְ שֶׁהוֹלְכִים בָּהּ מֵעִיר לְעִיר, עַל דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל,
so, too, charity is a manifestation and radiance of the [infinite] Ein Sof-light which encompasses all worlds,
כָּךְ הַצְּדָקָה הִיא בְּחִינַת גִּילּוּי וְהֶאָרַת אוֹר־אֵין־סוֹף בָּרוּךְ־הוּא "סוֹבֵב כָּל עָלְמִין",
that will radiate and become manifest in the future, at the time of the Resurrection of the Dead, even to this world—in response to the arousal [initiated by mortals] from below, as expressed in charity and gratuitous kindness—
שֶׁיָּאִיר וְיִתְגַּלֶּה עַד עוֹלָם הַזֶּה, בְּ"אִתְעָרוּתָא דִלְתַתָּא", בְּתוֹרַת צְדָקָה וְחֶסֶד חִנָּם, לֶעָתִיד בִּתְחִיַּית הַמֵּתִים,
with a magnitude and force infinitely exceeding the state in which the radiation9 is manifested in the Lower and Higher levels of Gan Eden.
בְּיֶתֶר שְׂאֵת וְיֶתֶר עֹז לְאֵין קֵץ מִבְּחִינַת גִּילּוּי (הֶאָרָה) [הַהֶאָרָה] בְּגַן עֵדֶן הַתַּחְתּוֹן וְהָעֶלְיוֹן,
The proof for this is: For the souls of all the tzaddikim,10 and of the tannaim11 who preceded them, and of the prophets12 who predate the tannaim,
שֶׁהֲרֵי כָּל נִשְׁמוֹת הַצַּדִּיקִים וְהַתַּנָּאִים וְהַנְּבִיאִים,
that are now in the Higher Gan Eden, at the peak of all levels,
שֶׁהֵם עַתָּה בְּגַן עֵדֶן הָעֶלְיוֹן בְּרוּם הַמַּעֲלוֹת,
will become vested in their bodies in the Time to Come, and will arise at the time of the Resurrection,13 to derive pleasure from the splendor of the Shechinah, which will then radiate in this world to the souls as they are vested within their bodies.
יִתְלַבְּשׁוּ בְּגוּפוֹתֵיהֶם לֶעָתִיד וְיָקוּמוּ בִּזְמַן הַתְּחִיָּיה לֵיהָנוֹת מִזִּיו הַשְּׁכִינָה.
It is thus clear that this revelation will transcend by far the degree of revelation that can be attained in the Higher Gan Eden so that it is worthwhile for souls which are so loftily situated to descend and enclothe themselves in physical bodies in order to be able to receive it.
This revelation is purely an act of tzedakah and gratuitous kindness on G‑d’s part, for man’s arousal from below is in no way intense enough to draw down such an immense degree of revelation; his spiritual service serves only as a vessel which enables him to receive it.
The Alter Rebbe now goes on to explain what exactly it is about the revelation attainable in the World to Come that makes the revelation attainable even in the Higher Gan Eden pale in comparison.
For the manifestation and the radiance in Gan Eden are of the level called memalei kol almin14—the light which “permeates all worlds”; i.e., the muted Divine life-force that contracts, descends, and diminishes according to the receptive capacity of the particular created being which it is to permeate.
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FOOTNOTES
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8. Genesis 18:19.
9. Parentheses and brackets are in the original text.
10. Note by the Rebbe: “Mitzvot.”
11. Note by the Rebbe: “Torah.”
12. Note by the Rebbe: “Revelation of G‑dliness.”
13. Note by the Rebbe: “It will be noted that the Alter Rebbe distinguishes between two periods (which implies that they are of distinct content): the Time to Come, and the Resurrection. This requires further examination.”
14. Note by the Rebbe: “See ch. 48 [of Part I].”