“And charity like a mighty (Eitan) river” (Amos, end of ch. 5). The meaning is that charity will be like a mighty river, issuing from the state of Eitan,1See On Learning Chassidus, p. 18. the state of “point in its chamber,”2Ibid., p. 38 and Translator’s Explanatory Notes. Chochmah is the “point,” Binah, the “chamber.” and “two comrades….”3Zohar III:4a; chochmah and binah are termed the “two comrades who are never separated.” The letters of the word Eitan indicate the future tense, “I am destined to reveal myself,” as written, “See, my servant will be wise …”4Isaiah 32:13. This means that at that time the Light of the En Sof, blessed is He, and His Unity will be revealed within the depth of the core of the heart by calling forth the River Eitan, which is a radiance of the supernal wisdom5See Addendum, Glossary to Likkutei Amarim, Part I, Chochmah. that will illuminate the inwardness of the heart. Then he will be nullified utterly in His unity, blessed be He, from the depths of the heart, after removing the orlah6Based on Deuteronomy 10:16. Orlah is the term used for the foreskin removed in the rite of circumcision. of physical lusts….
At present, during the exile of this folk,7Cf. Obadiah 1:20. counsel is offered to bring a mite of the illumination of the Light of G–d from the state of Eitan into the core of the depth of the heart, in the fashion of the Time to Come. This is through arousing the plenteous mercies above for the G–dly spark within his soul.
For in truth, so long as man does not merit the revelation of the light of G–d of the state of Eitan in the core of the inwardness of his heart, to become nullified in His unity, blessed be He, until the very expiration of the soul, then it is indeed a great pity on the spark within his soul. For that spark is drawn from the state of the supernal wisdom itself, and when it cannot illuminate from its own state into the internality of the heart, which is the proper place for the revelation of this Light, then it is actually in exile.
Through the plentiful mercies on high, however, it goes out of exile and imprisonment and illuminates the core of the innermost of the heart with this great love, as known from the verse, “For Jacob who has redeemed Abraham,”8Isaiah 29:22. and as noted in Likkutei Amarim I, ch. 45.9See also ch. 32.
It is known that the arousal from above10See Iggeret Hateshuvah, ch. 1, note 26. is dependent on the arousal from below, meaning that through arousing great mercies in the hearts of the merciful and kindly, to grant a beneficence below physically, gold and silver…. Therefore the work of charity is actually the work of the River Eitan.
All know the verse, “Skin for skin, and all that a man has he will give on behalf of his soul,”11Job 2:4. his G–dly soul, to illumine it with the light of life, the Infinite, blessed is He.
וּצְדָקָה כְּנַחַל אֵיתָן (בְּעָמוֹס סוֹף סִימָן ה׳). פֵּירוּשׁ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁ״נַּחַל אֵיתָן״ הוּא הַמְשָׁכָה הַנִּמְשֶׁכֶת מִבְּחִינַת ״אֵיתָן״, שֶׁהִיא בְּחִינַת ״נְקוּדָּה בְּהֵיכָלָא״ וּ״תְרֵין רֵיעִין וְכוּ׳״, וְאוֹתִיּוֹת ״אֵיתָן״ מְשַׁמְּשׁוֹת לֶעָתִיד, פֵּירוּשׁ: אֲנָא עָתִיד לְאִתְגַּלְיָא, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: ״הִנֵּה יַשְׂכִּיל עַבְדִּי וְגוֹ׳״, וְהַיְינוּ שֶׁיִּתְגַּלֶּה אָז אוֹר־אֵין־סוֹף בָּרוּךְ־הוּא וְיִחוּדוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ תּוֹךְ פְּנִימִיּת נְקוּדַּת הַלֵּב, עַל־יְדֵי הַמְשָׁכַת ״נַחַל אֵיתָן״, הוּא הֶאָרַת חָכְמָה עִילָּאָה, שֶׁיָּאִיר בִּפְנִימִיּוּת הַלֵּב, לִיבָּטֵל בְּיִחוּדוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ בְּתַכְלִית מֵעוּמְקָא דְלִבָּא, אַחֲרֵי הֲסָרַת הָעָרְלָה מִתַּאֲווֹת הַגַּשְׁמִיּוֹת וְכוּ׳.
“And charity like a mighty (Eitan) river” (Amos, end of ch. 5). The meaning is that charity will be like a mighty river, issuing from the state of Eitan,1See On Learning Chassidus, p. 18. the state of “point in its chamber,”2Ibid., p. 38 and Translator’s Explanatory Notes. Chochmah is the “point,” Binah, the “chamber.” and “two comrades….”3Zohar III:4a; chochmah and binah are termed the “two comrades who are never separated.” The letters of the word Eitan indicate the future tense, “I am destined to reveal myself,” as written, “See, my servant will be wise …”4Isaiah 32:13. This means that at that time the Light of the En Sof, blessed is He, and His Unity will be revealed within the depth of the core of the heart by calling forth the River Eitan, which is a radiance of the supernal wisdom5See Addendum, Glossary to Likkutei Amarim, Part I, Chochmah. that will illuminate the inwardness of the heart. Then he will be nullified utterly in His unity, blessed be He, from the depths of the heart, after removing the orlah6Based on Deuteronomy 10:16. Orlah is the term used for the foreskin removed in the rite of circumcision. of physical lusts….
וְהִנֵּה, עַתָּה בְּגָלוּת הַחֵל הַזֶּה, יֵשׁ גַּם כֵּן עֵצָה יְעוּצָה לְהָאִיר קְצָת אוֹר ה׳ מִבְּחִינַת ״אֵיתָן״ לְתוֹךְ נְקוּדַּת פְּנִימִיּוּת הַלֵּב כְּעֵין לֶעָתִיד, וְהַיְינוּ, עַל־יְדֵי שֶׁמְּעוֹרֵר עַל נִיצוֹץ אֱלֹקוּת שֶׁבְּנַפְשׁוֹ בְּחִינַת רַחֲמִים רַבִּים הָעֶלְיוֹנִים.
At present, during the exile of this folk,7Cf. Obadiah 1:20. counsel is offered to bring a mite of the illumination of the Light of G–d from the state of Eitan into the core of the depth of the heart, in the fashion of the Time to Come. This is through arousing the plenteous mercies above for the G–dly spark within his soul.
כִּי בֶּאֱמֶת, כָּל זְמַן שֶׁאֵין הָאָדָם זוֹכֶה שֶׁיִּתְגַּלֶּה אוֹר ה׳ מִבְּחִינַת ״אֵיתָן״ בִּנְקוּדַּת פְּנִימִית לְבָבוֹ, לִיבָּטֵל בְּיִחוּדוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ מֵעוּמְקָא דְלִבָּא עַד כְּלוֹת הַנֶּפֶשׁ מַמָּשׁ אֲזַי בֶּאֱמֶת, יֵשׁ רַחֲמָנוּת גְּדוֹלָה עַל הַנִּיצוֹץ שֶׁבְּנַפְשׁוֹ. כִּי הַנִּיצוֹץ נִמְשָׁךְ מִבְּחִינַת חָכְמָה עִילָּאָה מַמָּשׁ, וּכְשֶׁאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְהָאִיר מִבְּחִינָתוֹ לְתוֹךְ פְּנִימִיּוּת הַלֵּב, שֶׁשָּׁם מְקוֹם גִּילּוּי הֶאָרָה זוֹ – הֲרֵי זֶה בִּבְחִינַת גָּלוּת מַמָּשׁ.
For in truth, so long as man does not merit the revelation of the light of G–d of the state of Eitan in the core of the inwardness of his heart, to become nullified in His unity, blessed be He, until the very expiration of the soul, then it is indeed a great pity on the spark within his soul. For that spark is drawn from the state of the supernal wisdom itself, and when it cannot illuminate from its own state into the internality of the heart, which is the proper place for the revelation of this Light, then it is actually in exile.
וְעַל־יְדֵי רַחֲמִים רַבִּים הָעֶלְיוֹנִים, יוֹצֵא מֵהַגָּלוּת וְהַשִּׁבְיָה וּמֵאִיר לְתוֹךְ נְקוּדָּה פְּנִימִיּוּת הַלֵּב בְּחִינַת אַהֲבָה רַבָּה זוֹ, כַּנּוֹדָע מִמַּה שֶּׁכָּתוּב: ״לְיַעֲקֹב אֲשֶׁר פָּדָה אֶת אַבְרָהָם״, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר בְּלִקּוּטֵי אֲמָרִים פֶּרֶק מ״ה.
Through the plentiful mercies on high, however, it goes out of exile and imprisonment and illuminates the core of the innermost of the heart with this great love, as known from the verse, “For Jacob who has redeemed Abraham,”8Isaiah 29:22. and as noted in Likkutei Amarim I, ch. 45.9See also ch. 32.
וּמוּדַעַת זֹאת, כִּי, אִתְעָרוּתָא דִלְעֵילָּא – בְּאִתְעָרוּתָא דִלְתַתָּא דַּוְקָא תַּלְיָא מִלְּתָא, דְּהַיְינוּ עַל־יְדֵי הִתְעוֹרְרוּת רַחֲמִים רַבִּים בְּלֵב רַחֲמָנִים וְגוֹמְלֵי חֲסָדִים, לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ לְמַטָּה הַשְׁפָּעָה גַשְׁמִיִּית: זָהָב וָכֶסֶף וְכוּ׳. וְלָכֵן, פְּעוּלַּת הַצְּדָקָה, הִיא פְּעוּלַּת ״נַחַל אֵיתָן״ מַמָּשׁ.
It is known that the arousal from above10See Iggeret Hateshuvah, ch. 1, note 26. is dependent on the arousal from below, meaning that through arousing great mercies in the hearts of the merciful and kindly, to grant a beneficence below physically, gold and silver…. Therefore the work of charity is actually the work of the River Eitan.
וְהִנֵּה, מוּדַעַת זֹאת מַה שֶּׁכָּתוּב: כִּי ״עוֹר בְּעַד עוֹר וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר לָאִישׁ יִתֵּן בְּעַד נַפְשׁוֹ״ הָאֱלֹקִית, לְהָאִירָהּ בְּאוֹר הַחַיִּים אֵין־סוֹף בָּרוּךְ־הוּא:
All know the verse, “Skin for skin, and all that a man has he will give on behalf of his soul,”11Job 2:4. his G–dly soul, to illumine it with the light of life, the Infinite, blessed is He.