The Tanya's thirty-fourth chapter brings everything together with a single image: the Patriarchs were God's chariot, and you can be too.
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob never, for a single moment throughout their entire lives, ceased to bind their minds and souls to God with complete self-nullification. They were "chariots", vehicles with no independent will, perfectly subordinate to the divine rider. The prophets after them achieved similar states, each according to their level. Moses surpassed them all. The Zohar says the Shechinah (שכינה) "spoke from Moses' throat", his own voice was God's voice, without any barrier between them.
The Israelites tasted this unity at Mount Sinai. But they could not endure it. The Talmud in Tractate Shabbat says their souls departed with each divine utterance, the intensity of unmediated contact with God was too much for a finite soul to sustain. So God commanded the building of the Mishkan (משכן), the Tabernacle, to create a regulated, sustainable dwelling place for the divine presence.
After the Temple was destroyed, the Tanya says, God has only one dwelling place left: the "four cubits of halachah (Jewish religious law)" (Berachot 8a). Torah law, the study and practice of God's will as expressed in the legal tradition, is now the only sanctuary on earth where God's presence rests.
Rabbi Schneur Zalman concludes with a meditation for the benoni. Say to yourself: "My intellect and the root of my soul are too limited to become a perfect chariot for God. I cannot apprehend God the way the Patriarchs and prophets did. But I can do this: I can study Torah and perform mitzvot (commandments). I can make my body a dwelling place for the divine, not through ecstatic vision, but through consistent, faithful practice."
This is the Tanya's ultimate message. The grand cosmic architecture, the four worlds, the ten sefirot, the divine soul and its garments, all exists for one purpose: so that a finite human being, in a physical body, in this darkest and lowest of worlds, can open a book, study a law, and make that small act into a home for the Infinite. This is what the Tanya calls dirah b'tachtonim (דירה בתחתונים), making this physical world a dwelling place for God. And it is, the Tanya insists, very near to you.
It is well known that the Patriarchs were truly the “chariot” of G–d.1 Cf. above, ch. 18, note 3. For throughout their lives they never for a moment ceased from binding their mind and soul to the L–rd of the universe, with the aforementioned absolute surrender to His Unity, blessed be He. Likewise were all the Prophets after them, each according to the station of his soul and the degree of his apprehension, the rank of our teacher Moses, peace to him, surpassed them all, for concerning him it was said, “The Shechinah speaks out of Moses’ throat.”2 Zohar III:232a; cf. also Zohar III:7a. Something of this [union] the Israelites experienced at Mount Sinai, but they could not endure it, as the rabbis say3 Shabbat 88b. that at each [Divine] utterance their souls took flight…, which is an indication of the extinction of their existence, of which we spoke above. Therefore G–d at once commanded that a Sanctuary be made for Him, with the Holy of Holies for the presence of His Shechinah, which is the revelation of His Unity, blessed be He, as will be explained later.4 Ch. 53. But since the Temple was destroyed, the Holy One, blessed is He, has no sanctuary or established place for His habitation, that is, for His Unity, blessed be He, other than the “four cubits of halachah,”5 Berachot 8a. which is His will, blessed be He, and His wisdom, as embodied in the laws which have been set out for us. Therefore, after contemplating deeply on the subject of this self-nullification, discussed above, according to his capacity, let the person reflect in his heart as follows: “Inasmuch as my intelligence and the root of my soul are of too limited a capacity to constitute a chariot and abode for His Unity, blessed be He, in perfect truth, since my mind cannot at all conceive and apprehend Him with any manner or degree of apprehension in the world, nor even an iota of the apprehension of the Patriarchs and Prophets—if this be so, I shall make for Him a tabernacle and habitation by engaging in the study of the Torah, as my time permits, at appointed times by day and by night, in accordance with the law which was given to each individual in the Laws Concerning the Study of the Torah, and as the Rabbis stated, ‘Even one chapter in the morning….’”6 “…and one at night.” Menachot 99b. In this way his heart will be gladdened and he will rejoice and offer praise and thanks for his portion, with a joyous and happy heart, that he has merited to act as host to the Almighty twice daily, to the limit of his available time, and according to the capacity which has been generously bestowed upon him by G–d. And if G–d will lavish on him in yet a fuller measure, then “He who has clean hands will increase his effort”7 Job 17:9. and “A good intention….”8 “…G–d joins to a deed.” Kiddushin 40a; Zohar I:28a. And even the remainder of the day, when he is engaged in commerce, he will provide a dwelling for Him, blessed be He, through the giving of charity out of the proceeds of his labor, which is one of the Divine qualities, “As He is compassionate…,”9 “…so must you be compassionate.” Shabbat 133b. and as written in the Tikkunim that “Kindness is the right hand.”10 Tikkunei Zohar, Introduction 17a. And even though he distributes no more than a fifth part, this fifth carries the other four parts with it up to G–d to provide a dwelling for Him, blessed be He, as is known from the Rabbinic statement that the commandment of charity is balanced against all the sacrifices.11 Sukkah 49b; Bava Batra 9a. And through the sacrifices all living creatures were elevated to G–d through the offering of one beast, all plants through that of one-tenth of a measure of fine meal mingled with oil, and so on. Apart from this, at the time of study and prayer, there ascends to G–d everything one has eaten and drunk and enjoyed of the other four parts for the health of the body, as will be explained later. All the abovementioned particulars regarding the diverse joys of the soul do not preclude the person from considering himself shameful and loathsome, or from having a contrite heart and humble spirit, at the very time of the joy. For the sense of shame, and so on, is occasioned by the aspect of the body and animal soul, while his joy comes from the aspect of the divine soul and the spark of G–dliness that is clothed therein and animates it, as has been discussed above [ch. 31]. After this manner it is stated in the Zohar, “Weeping is lodged in one side of my heart, and joy is lodged in the other.”12 Zohar II:255a; III:75a.
