Generosity and the Righteous
Translation and commentary by Rabbi Moshe Wisnefsky
from the Writings of the Ari
The mystical significance of charity [is as follows]:
The Hebrew word for "charity", "tzedaka", is
spelled tzadik-dalet-kuf- hei.
The yud in the letter tzadik faces the
opposite direction than the [yud] of the nun [of the tzadik],
and this indicates that Zeir Anpin and Nukva are back-to-back.  | | " The letter hei is seen as a perfectly balanced letter..." | | |
In the script used for writing Torah scrolls,
tefillin, and mezuzot, the letters of the alphabet have precise forms
as dictated by Jewish law. The Arizal's system is basically the same as that of
Rabbi Yosef Caro ( Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 36) with seven
exceptions. One of these is the form of the letter tzadik, which is
formed by writing a slightly bent-over nun and then attaching a yud
on the right. According to Rabbi Caro, this yud is to be written "facing"
the nun. (Most letters in the Hebrew alphabet appear to be "facing"
left.) According to the Arizal, however, the yud is to be written
"facing" right. This is also the way the Sephardim write the tzadik.
As we know, when the partzufim are "back to
back", the flow of divine beneficence is severely limited; this is the least
favorable position. One of the ramifications of this situation is material
poverty in the physical world.
The dalet [the second letter of the word
tzedaka] indicates that Nukva is impoverished, inasmuch as the word "dalet"
means "poor".
The adjective "dal" means "poor", so "dalet"
can be seen as a feminine form of this word.
Since Zeir Anpin and Nukva are
back-to-back, Nukva does not receive the full flow of divine beneficence
it needs.
Even though the [third letter] kuf does
indicate a certain low-grade coupling, its "leg" is long, indicating that [the
divine beneficence it channels unfortunately] extends to the realm of evil.
The kuf is formed of a slightly truncated
caf and a lowered zayin. These two letters are facing the normal way,
indicating that altogether the kuf does indicate a measure of "coupling,"
but the lowered zayin, the "leg" of the kuf, extends below the
line, indicating a flow into the lower realms of reality, i.e., evil.
In order to freshen [literally, "perfume," i.e.,
rectify] this situation, we must give charity, which fills in [the missing
elements of the first three letters] as the letter hei, which depicts the
true coupling, this being the mystical significance of the letter hei, as
explained in the Zohar (Zohar II:104a).
The letter hei is seen as a perfectly balanced
letter, in which the leg does not extend below the line as it does in the kuf,
and there is a coupling between its two parts, unlike the dalet, which
lacks a second "half" to couple with. As we will see, the hei is the
rectified form of the kuf and the dalet.
Now, the kuf signifies Cain, i.e., the
spreading of the impurity [of evil], while the hei signifies Abel.
The name Cain (in Hebrew, "Kayin") begins with
a kuf, while the name Abel (in Hebrew, "Hevel") begins with a
hei. | | " Yesod...gives 'charity' to Nukva..." | | |
We will now explain the mystical meaning of the verse,
"There is one who gives generously yet ends with more" (Proverbs 11:24), which
our sages applied to the mitzvah of charity (Yalkut Shimoni ad
loc.). Indeed, we will also relate [this verse] to the same subject, for
yesod is called the "righteous one" [in Hebrew, "tzadik"], inasmuch
as it gives "charity" [tzedaka] to Nukva, who is a priori
termed "righteousness" [tzedek], but thereby becomes "charity" [tzedaka].
The word for "charity", "tzedaka", is composed
of the word for "righteousness" ("tzedek", spelled tzadik-dalet-kuf)
plus an additional hei. Since the hei at the end of a word is a
sign of the feminine gender, tzedaka may be considered the feminine form
of "tzedek". Thus, yesod transforms Nukva into a female.
Now, [the verse speaks of] the tzadik [i.e.,
yesod] as "giving generously". The literal meaning of this word [in Hebrew,
"mefazeir"] is "spreading", implying that it crumbles the supernal states
of chesed into small crumbs, which scatter from the pulverizing blows.
This is in order to give [these crumbs] to Nukva, and the crumbs spread
throughout Nukva in a manner similar to [how the coins of] tzedaka
[a person distributes spread salvation throughout the world]. | | " Someone who gives charity...will become wealthier, and possess more than he did beforehand..." | | |
You should not think that these states of chesed
are diminished by [passing through] Zeir Anpin, or that they lack
anything by being given to tzedek [i.e., Nukva]. On the contrary,
[the result of this process] is not a lacking but "ends with more." For these
[pulverizing] blows magnify all the states of chesed, and their light
increases infinitely. Zeir Anpin grows through this process, as we have
explained elsewhere. This is the meaning of the phrase, "yet ends with more".
Zeir Anpin must process its abstract
experience of chesed, "breaking it down" or concretizing it into terms
and contexts that are meaningful to the objective-oriented partzuf of
Nukva in order for the latter to assimilate it. Lest one think that Zeir
Anpin suffers from its "marriage" to Nukva (for which it must
"trouble itself" to contextualize its inherent abstractness, which would seem to
be a regrettable descent), we are told here that it, in fact, matures and
develops from the process. The descent into reality rebounds as a greater
ability to achieve abstraction.
It could be that this is why yesod is called "Joseph".
As we have explained numerous times, Joseph is
associated with yesod by virtue of his sexual purity. Here, we note that
the word "Joseph" (in Hebrew, "Yosef") means "he will add", alluding to
the increase Joseph - i.e., holy coupling with Nukva - causes in Zeir
Anpin.
So will it be with someone who gives charity. [He will
not suffer financially from this, but] on the contrary, he will become
wealthier, and possess more than he did beforehand. [ Likutei Torah, Shaar HaMitzvot]
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