Good deeds as vessels drawing down Divine life

אלה תולדות נח במדרש עץ חיים פרי צדיק פירות של צדיק מצות ומעשים טובים דכתיב ויפח באפיו נשמת חיים ויהי האדם לנפש חי' היינו שיכול להמשיך החיות מעץ החיים וכמו שנמשך הנשמה בהכנת האדם הגוף.

"These are the generations of Noach" — in the Midrash: "a tree of life... the fruit of the tzaddik" — the fruits of the tzaddik are mitzvos and good deeds, as it is written: "and He breathed into his nostrils a breath of life, and the man became a living soul," meaning that he is able to draw down vitality from the Eitz Hachaim (Tree of Life); and just as the soul was drawn down through the preparation of the man's body —

The "generations" (toldos) of a tzaddik are his mitzvos and good deeds — these are his true "fruit." Just as Hashem breathed a living soul into Adam once his body was formed and ready, so a person can continually draw vitality down from the Tree of Life through his good deeds.

מלמעלה.

— from above.

That vitality of the soul comes from above, drawn down into the prepared body.

כמו כן בכל מעשה האדם נעשה כלי למשוך עליו נשמה ואלקות מלמעלה ועז"כ אשר יעשה אותם האדם וחי בהם וז"ש נר מצוה שהוא כלי לחול עליו חיות מלמעלה וע"ז מבקשין ויהי נועם ה' כו' ומעשה ידינו כוננהו.

So too, with every deed a person becomes a vessel (kli) to draw upon himself a soul and Divinity from above; and concerning this it is written "which a person shall do and live by them," and this is the meaning of "a mitzvah is a lamp (ner mitzvah)" — that it is a vessel upon which vitality from above can rest; and for this we pray "may the pleasantness of Hashem etc. be upon us, and establish the work of our hands."

Every good deed a person does turns him into a vessel that draws down a soul and Divine light from above. This is why mitzvos give life — "and live by them" — and why a mitzvah is compared to a lamp: like a lamp that holds the flame, the deed is a vessel ready to receive the chiyus from above. Our prayer "establish the work of our hands" asks that our deeds be fit vessels for this Divine light.

וכ' תמשילהו במעשי ידיך שהנשמות הם מעשה ידיו של הקב"ה כמ"ש ונשמות אני עשיתי והרי האדם ממשיך הנשמה מלמעלה.

And it is written: "You give him dominion over the works of Your hands" — for the souls are the handiwork of Hashem, as it is written: "and souls I have made"; and indeed man draws down the soul from above.

Man is given mastery over "the works of Hashem's hands" — and the souls themselves are Hashem's handiwork. Through his deeds, man draws this Divine soul-light down from above into the world.

כל שתה תחת רגליו רמז לברית מילה שנק' כל.

"You have placed all (kol) under his feet" — this alludes to the bris milah, which is called "kol."

The word "kol" (all) in the verse hints at the bris milah, which is referred to as "kol" — for the bris is the all-encompassing foundation upon which everything rests.

והכל תלוי בכח זה הברית.

And everything depends on the power of this bris.

The entire capacity to draw down soul and Divinity through one's deeds ultimately rests upon the power of the bris milah.

וכ' ועמך כולם צדיקים בכח הברית מילה לכן כתיב וחי בהם כנ"ל פ"צ עץ חיים:

And it is written "and your people are all righteous" — through the power of the bris milah; therefore it is written "and live by them," as above. "The fruit of the tzaddik is a tree of life."

"Your people are all tzaddikim" is realized through the power of the bris milah, which makes every Jew capable of drawing down life. This is why the mitzvos give life — "and live by them" — for the deeds of the tzaddik are the fruit of the very Tree of Life.

Summary: The true "generations" of a person are his mitzvos and good deeds, which are the fruit of the Tree of Life. Just as Hashem breathed a living soul into the prepared body of Adam, every good deed makes a person into a vessel — a "lamp" — to draw down a soul and Divine light from above, which is why mitzvos give life ("and live by them"). This entire capacity rests upon the power of the bris milah, called "kol," which makes Bnei Yisrael "all righteous."