| Joy of Charity Essays | | ||
| www.joyoflife.org.il |
My beloved, brethren and friends - who are to me as my soul: I come as one who reminds and awakens those who sleep the slumber of the vanities of vanities, and to open the eyes of the blind. Let them consider and see that throughout their life all their striving, longing and aiming for all in which there is the "life of their spirit" be in "the source of the living waters" (the Fountainhead of all life), with respect to the soul, as well as to the flesh (that is, all mundane matters and occupations for livelihood). Be not like those that do everything for their own sake! Let not the house of Israel be like unto all the nations that feed, provide and esteem their wives and children out of egocentric motivation...
Only that shall be befitting us when all our engagements with mundane affairs are not for their own sake but in order to vivify the souls, the portions of God, and to supply what they lack out of gratuitous kindness. For thereby we give the form [i.e., the creature (man)] a semblance to its Former [i.e., the Creator]...
Therefore my beloved, my brethren: set your hearts to these words expressed in great brevity...- how in these times, with the advent of the Messiah, the principal service of God is the service of charity, as our sages, of blessed memory, said: "Israel will be redeemed only through charity."
Our sages, of blessed memory, did not say that the study of Torah is equivalent to the performance of loving-kindness except in their own days. For with them the principal service was the study of Torah and, therefore, there were great scholars: Tannaim and Amoraim. However, with the advent of the Messiah, as "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 [i.e., the Hut of David (the divine presence)] and to convert the darkness into its light, except through a corresponding category of action, namely the act of charity.
For, as known to the intelligent, the plane of action with reference to Divinity is the notion of a diffusion and efflux of vitality to the nethermost [i.e., the extension of Divinity from above to below] - to him who has nothing of his own [i.e., no egocentricity]. And whoever sacrifices his impulse in this respect and opens his hand and heart subdues the "other side" [i.e., the side of evil] and "converts the darkness into the light" of God, blessed be He, Who, with the advent of the Messiah, dwells over us in a state of action; and he will merit to behold "Eye to eye, the Lord returning to Zion..."
| Joy of Charity Essays | | ||
| www.joyoflife.org.il |