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Three Prayers
Balak, Tav-Shin-Mem-Dalet, July 1984
It is written in the Shabbat [Sabbath] evening songs (in “Anyone Who Sanctifies”): “The Lord, God of Israel, the love of the innocent [also “whole” or “naïve”]; the Lord, God of Israel, everlasting salvation.”
We should understand the importance of innocence [also “wholeness” or “naivety”]. On the face of it, it seems as though one who has less of an intellect can be more innocent, and one who has more intellect and more ability to criticize cannot be naïve. It follows that the quality of naivety was given to those with little knowledge.
But Baal HaSulam interpreted that first one sees only Mumim [flaws] and then he makes of it Tamim[naïve/innocent/whole]. The explanation is that when one sees only flaws in the world, in individuals and in the collective, this is called Mumim [flaws], and it is called “left line.” Afterward, he accepts everything above reason, and this is called Tamim.
It follows that one who has more knowledge, has more flaws, as it is written, “He who adds knowledge adds pain,” and he should accept all this above reason. It follows that his innocence is built on greater knowledge. Thus, his innocence is greater than one whose innocence is built on smaller knowledge.
It says, “The Lord, God of Israel, the love of the innocent [also “whole” or “naïve”]; the Lord, God of Israel, everlasting salvation.” This means that in order for a person to have the strength to overcome once he sees a world full of flaws, he cannot help himself and needs salvation from above to be able to go into innocence above reason. This is the “Lord, God of Israel, everlasting salvation,” meaning to bring all the flaws into the above reason, which is called Tamim [innocent/whole]. This is the meaning of Ol-Mim [Olamim (everlasting) split in two]. Ol [burden] comes from the word Ayil[Aramaic: entering], meaning to insert a Mum [flaw] in the Tamim.
By this we will understand the words of The Zohar (Balak, Items 187-188). It is written there that a prayer for the poor precedes the rest of the prayers. This is the meaning of “A prayer for the poor when he envelops.” “Envelops,” from the words, “And the enveloped, for Laban,” which means delayed. That is, it delays all other prayers in the world. He asks, Why does the prayer for the poor delays all the prayers? It is because the poor is brokenhearted and the poor always quarrels with the Creator, and the Creator listens and hears his words, see there in the Sulam [Ladder commentary on The Zohar].
We should understand why the Creator hears the prayer of the poor before all other prayers. He says that the reason is that the Creator is near to the brokenhearted. We should understand the importance of the brokenhearted to whom the Creator is close. In The Zohar, Malchut is called “poor, for she has nothing of her own except that which her husband brings her.” This matter is explained in several places in the Sulam, that there are two states in Malchut. Once it is explained according to the first state, that she is called “poor” because she has no Hassadim [mercies], and elsewhere, he calls there, in the Sulam, the second state of Malchut, that she is called “poor” because she must receive from Zeir Anpin, her husband.
We should interpret that the kingdom of heaven—when one wants to take upon himself that all his actions will be for the sake of the Creator, not in order to receive reward—at that time Malchut is called “poor” because she has nothing to give to the person working for her. Normally, when someone works for someone, he receives a reward for his work. But when a person works for the Creator, not in order to receive reward for his labor, it follows that he is working for a poor one, meaning it like working for a poor person who has nothing with which to pay him.
According to the above, we should interpret a prayer for the poor: A person prays to the Creator that his prayer will be for the poor. That is, he prays that everything he does will be for the sake of the Creator, meaning he wants to work in order not to receive reward. This work means that he wants to work Lishma [for Her sake]. That is, even though he has not achieved it, he still wants to. This is the first discernment in the work of the Creator. Before one achieves the state of Lishma, he works not for the sake of the Creator, but for his own sake.
By this we will understand why the prayer for the poor is accepted before all the prayers, to point that The Zohar says that it delays all the prayers, that it precedes the prayer for David and the prayer for Moses. We should ask why it should delay the rest of the prayers. Is it impossible to answer everyone at the same time, but they must be answered one at a time?
We can understand this if we learn all these three prayers in one person. Normally, we should discern three prayers: 1) A prayer for Moses, who is the quality of the Torah. 2) A prayer for David, who is Malchut [kingship]. That is, he has been rewarded with the quality Malchut but he prays that the kingdom of heaven with which he has been rewarded will not depart from him. 3) A prayer for the poor, when he wants to begin to emerge from self-love and come into the work in order to bestow and not receive any reward, but only for the Creator. Then the body begins to resist this work because it is against his nature. At that time, he comes to a state where he sees that he is bare and destitute. That is, he has no support from which to receive fuel for the work. In other words, when he thought that he should engage in the work Lishma, he was fine. He had Torah and prayer and good deeds, and he had possessions to enjoy. He looked at people with whom he came in contact and felt that he was far above them.
But now that he has begun to walk on the path that leads to Lishma, he feels that he is more deprived than all his contemporaries, since they have vitality. He feels them just as he had felt himself before he began to change his way. At that time, he feels that the world has grown dark on him, as it is written, “Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done harm to this people, and You did not save Your people at all. And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh, for with a mighty hand he will send them, and with a mighty hand he will drive them out of his land’” (Exodus 5:23).
We should interpret that before Moses came to the people of Israel as a messenger of the Creator, that He wants to lead them out of Egypt, the people of Israel engaged in work of the Creator but were enslaved to Pharaoh king of Egypt. Pharaoh king of Egypt is the will to receive that is found in the created beings, which cannot do anything if not for its own benefit. This is the ruler in all created beings, and afflicts all those who want to emerge from its dominion, meaning to work for the sake of others.
Moses came to the people of Israel and told them that the Creator wants to deliver them from under the governance of Pharaoh, to lead each and every one of the people of Israel from under Pharaoh’s control, which is found within each and every one.
Accordingly, each one understands that Moses’ mission is that we must begin the work Lishma [for Her sake], so it makes sense that now, if we begin to walk on the path of truth, meaning for the sake of the Creator, where each one has the aim to bestow while doing the work of the Creator, now each one will begin to work harder and with great enthusiasm, and the passion will be so intense that it will be difficult for him to retire for a minute to think about corporeal needs, too, which are utterly necessary, since now he is working only for the sake of the Creator. And although he has not begun this work, to feel that he is working for the sake of the Creator, since he wants to walk on the path of truth, the body will certainly agree to make more concessions for him than it did while he was not working on the path of truth, meaning Lishma.
But the reality is opposite. Precisely when we want to walk on the way of Lishma, the body begins to resist. At that time, it begins with all its arguments, meaning the argument of Pharaoh king of Egypt, which is the argument, “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice?” and the argument of the wicked, who says, “What is this work for you?” At that time, the work becomes heavy, and each time he needs more reinforcement.
We should interpret this matter in the above-mentioned verse, “Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done harm to this people.” That is, when Moses came to speak “in Your name,” meaning that they should work for the sake of the Creator, “He has done harm to this people,” they become worse. In other words, before Moses came to say that we must work only for the sake of the Creator, everyone served the Creator and considered themselves righteous. They had the strength to work and the fuel to know why they were working was clear to them. But after Moses came as an emissary of the Creator, that we must work for the sake of the Creator, they have become worse. Thus, accordingly, they would be better off not getting into the work of Lishma.
To this came the answer, “And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh, for with a mighty hand he will send them.’” The answer was not that they did not tell the truth, but what I want from them is to feel the truth, that they are so far from the truth, meaning from working for the sake of the Creator. Then, when they have this kind of demand, that they cannot work Lishma, then you will see how I give you the strength to work for the sake of the Creator. I do not demand that you will be able to walk on the path of truth. All I need is for you to have a Kli [vessel] to receive the abundance. Hence, when you begin to work in order to bestow, you will see that you are incapable of this work, and then I will give you what is called “with a mighty hand he will send them,” as it is written, “And I also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, that the Egyptians enslave them, and I remembered My covenant, etc., and I will deliver you from under the afflictions of Egypt” (Exodus 6). It follows that once they have a Kli to receive, I will give them the power required for it.
Now we will explain what we began, concerning the prayer of the poor—why this prayer delays all other prayers. Since we are speaking of one person in whom all these states unfold, it follows that the prayer of David cannot be accepted, as it is when he has already been rewarded with the kingdom of heaven, but he prays that the kingdom of heaven will not cease from him. One can pray for this after he already has the kingdom of heaven, but anyone who is still far from the kingdom of heaven, who is still under the rule of Pharaoh king of Egypt, how can he be given so that this matter will not cease in him while he still has nothing?
Hence, first the prayer of the poor is accepted, meaning that first he must be rewarded with the kingdom of heaven, called “poor and meager.” This is the first discernment—that a person must enter in the work. Afterward comes the next degree, which is a prayer for David, meaning that his kingdom of heaven will not cease. Then comes the third degree, which is a prayer for Moses, which is the Torah.
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