Questions for today:
While our lessons up to here were inspiring; G-d is everywhere, and there is nothing besides the Creator, this leaves a fundamental question: If all is one, what is the impact of my mitzvos?
When a wealthy person gives a sandwich to a poor person, what actually happens?
According to what we learned until now, there is only one infinite Creator and there is a G-dly power that dims that infinity. In truth, reality doesn’t change as a result of this dimming, only our perception of changes to see unique, divided, existence.
This cannot be the whole picture. The Torah’s truth is imbedded in reality, and the impact of a mitzvah is real.
Therefore, there must be an ‘actual’ difference of before vs. after I study Torah, and an ‘actual’ transfer of charity between a person that has, to one that does not – not just a ‘mirage’.
Today's Tanya explains how this works. The G-dly power that gives the world its shape is not called a ‘curtain’ that simply dims, it's called a ‘vessel’.
Take a look at a red cup. If you pour water into the red cup, the color of water itself will be red, though the water itself is not actually changing.
The infinite G-dly power that's allowing us to see variability in the world is giving the G-dliness itself (like the water in the example) the form of the ten utterances of creation. This gives Divine truth to the wealth of the rich and the poverty of the poor. All the while, the G-dliness that’s creating it doesn’t change at all.
173 11 Tanya Sivan 14 ~ m200 m13 Sivan 15
Tanya book 2, Ch 4, Pt 3
Although the true underlying reality is a singular Creator, nevertheless the varied world, and the actions and kindness we observe within it, have truth.
This is because the G-dly power defining the world doesn't just act like a curtain dimming Gdliness - it acts like a vessel.
The formation of the world then, stemming from this Divine "vessel", has G-dly truth and reality.
Study today’s Tanya in full:
https://www.chabadmed.com/dailystudy/tanya.asp?tdate=6/14/2022
See today’s video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjIs8dIdcJw&list=PLFZQPK6u-zSC7FvXJfcTF6vOd_JEAABrJ&index=11