– SURSĂ DE TEXTE FUNDAMENTALE, CĂRŢI, CURSURI, LECŢII, ÎN LIMBA ROMÂNĂ –
Autor: arhiprofesor
Rene Guenon spunea candva ca numai prostii cred ca se pot initia singuri. Intotdeuna ai nevoie de un maestru. Dar cartea ramane o sursa de imbogatire a cunostintelor noastre fara de care nici maestrii nu-si pot desavarsi lucrarea. Biblioteca de arhitectura este pentru un arhitect tot atat de importanta cat experimentarea in concret a trairii fiecarui spatiu arhitectural.
“And Jethro heard.” The Zohar asks, Did Jethro hear and all the nations did not hear? After all, it is written, “The nations will hear, be angry.” However, Jethro heard and was broken, and all the nations heard and were not broken. Therefore, their hearing is not hearing.
We should ask why Jethro broke when he heard the tearing of the Red Sea and the war against Amalek. He saw two things here: 1) On the part of the Creator, the Creator said to Moses, “The Lord will fight for you and you will be silent.” Concerning the war against Amalek, it is written, “And Moses said to Joshua, ‘Choose us people and go fight against Amalek.’” Concerning Moses, it is written, “His hands were hands of faith until the sun set.”
We should say that when he went out from Egypt, they believed in the Creator. At that time, because of the faith, they did not need an awakening from below. Rather, the Creator told them that they must only continue to have faith, and the Creator will fight for you. The power of faith is to deliver him from all the troubles.
This is so because faith is actually an awakening from below, as our sages said, “Everything is in the hands of heaven but the fear of heaven.” Conversely, the war against Amalek, which is “how he met you along the way,” bringing heresy to the people of Israel, as they interpreted, “And attacked the stragglers at your rear,” cutting the words and throwing them upward, casting words upward and saying, “The commandments You commanded Your people Israel, how has this helped them?” This is how the [book] Siftey Hachamim interprets it. For this reason, the matter depends on faith, which is the meaning of fear of heaven, and this is in the hands of man. This is why they had to fight.
After Shabbat, Noah, Tav-Shin-Lamed-Vav, October 11, 1975
“The face of the Lord is in evildoers, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. They cried out, and the Lord hears, and saved them from all their troubles.”
We could ask, But the face of the Creator belongs to the righteous, and not to evildoers, as it is written, “By the light of Your face, you have given us … mercy, and life, and peace.” Only the Achoraim [posterior] is regarded as judgment, when He executes judgment on the wicked.
We should say that this means that those who want to walk on the path of the Creator, on the path of truth, see that they are always doing evil. They cry out to the Creator to save them from that state of evil, and everything that they could do but could not be freed from the evil, as explained about the exodus from Egypt, “And the children of Israel sighed from the work, and their cry went up to God,” and He delivered them from Egypt.
Likewise, we should interpret here that the Creator shown His face to them, and then the concealment that they had departed from them. By “The face of the Lord is in evildoers,” the face of the Creator cancels even the memory of the bad. This is the meaning of “cut off the memory of them from the earth.” Eretz [earth/land] comes from the word Ratzon [desire]. Even a memory of the bad desire did not awaken in them because “They cried out, and the Lord hears, and saved them from all their troubles.”
“The arrow maker is slain by his own arrows” (sometimes the craftsman makes an arrow which kills the craftsman himself) (Pesachim 28a), concerning the Passover leaven, which is by burning. We should interpret that the order of one’s work in Torah and Mitzvot [commandments] when he wants to work for the sake of the Creator is that one must fight and defeat the evil inclination.
That is, it is human nature to toil when there is self-benefit. But when he sees that no self-benefit will emerge from this work, he cannot work. Instead, he complains and asks, “What is this work for you?” meaning what will you gain from exerting?
When a person overcomes it and says that he wants to work against nature and bestow upon the Creator, the evil inclination comes with a different argument, asking the question of wicked Pharaoh, “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice?” It is possible to work for the sake of others only where I know that the other receives the labor.
However, when he has two labors, 1) He must overcome and go against nature, and work not for his own benefit but for the benefit of others, for the sake of the Creator. 2) He must believe that the Creator receives his labor.
These two questions are the main ones in the argument of the wicked one. The rest of the questions that come to a person are merely offspring of the two above questions.
It is possible to overcome these questions only by faith, which is above reason. One must reply to the wicked one that from the perspective of the intellect, it makes sense to ask what he is asking. But above the intellect, in faith, when he believes in the words of the sages, this is the only way that is for the sake of the Creator.
That is, when one gives all his energy and efforts for the sake of the Creator, this is his only purpose, and the world was created for this purpose, as our sages said, “The whole world was created only for this” (Berachot 6b), meaning for the fear of heaven.
Hence, when he answers the wicked that he is going above reason, which is against the intellect, the intellect can no longer ask any questions because all the questions are within reason, whereas above the intellect there is no place for questions.
Hence, when the wicked one asks the questions, he is told that now is the time when I can do my work in faith. In other words, by the very fact that you are asking a question and I reply to you that I am going with faith, and I am not giving you an intellectual answer, this is a sign for you to know that my work is with faith above reason.
It follows that now you have caused me to make a Mitzva [commandment] in that only now does it become revealed to all that the path of the Creator is only faith.
By this we can interpret what our sages said, “The arrow maker is slain by his own arrows,” meaning that the craftsman makes an arrow that kills the craftsman himself. This means that the same arrow with which he wants to kill the man, meaning the question that the wicked one asks, with this he is slain, meaning with the question itself, he kills the wicked one, meaning he replies to the wicked one with the question itself and kills him.
Thus, through the question he asks, he takes upon himself the commandment of faith above reason and thereby kills the wicked one, who does not want to give him a change to perform Mitzvot[commandments].
What Is, He Swallowed Maror [bitter herb], He Will Not Come Out, in the work?
The meaning of Maror [bitter herb] is as it is written, “And they made their lives bitter with hard work,” by asking “Who?” and “What?” These questions caused them labor, for by wanting to overcome, yet not being able to, they tasted a bitter taste.
But we should explain their questions within reason, and naturally not feel bitterness in the work. He says that what the evil inclination asks is not questions, so he does not feel bitterness. It follows that he does not have Maror in the work, making him have to go above reason.
Now we can understand what our sages said, “If he swallows” the Maror “he will not come out.” The ARI says about this that Maror has the Gematria of Mavet [death], which is judgments. We should ask what it implies that Maror has the Gematria of Mavet. The thing is that the Maror we eat is a reminder that they made their lives bitter with hard work.
We should say that in the work, “hard work” means that it is difficult to overcome and emerge from self-benefit, and that he wants to work only for his own benefit. This is called “wicked,” who asks, “What is this work” of bestowal “for you?” What will you gain out of it? But it is known that “The wicked in their lives are called ‘dead.’”
It follows that hard work is called Maror, when a person tastes bitterness in having to work for his own sake. This is the intimation that Maror has the Gematria of Mavet and judgments, since there was a judgment on self-benefit that it is forbidden to use this Kli [vessel], and this is why there are restrictions and concealment there.
Now we will explain why we must chew—since we must feel the taste of bitterness.
It is written in The Zohar (BeHaalotcha, Item 66): “He who comes to defile, meaning to see that he is impure, is defiled. That is, he is shown from above the dumbness of the heart, that the heart is impure, dead, as in “The wicked in their lives are called ‘dead.’’”
Conversely, one who regards oneself as whole and does not criticize one’s actions is righteous according to his understanding and belongs to the general public, whose work is in a manner of reward and punishment.
“Until they gain knowledge and acquire much wisdom,” while they are in a state of “still” and are searching for the truth, “they are shown that secret” of the meaning of Lishma [for Her sake]. Who reveals it to them? It comes from above. This is called “He who comes to purify is aided.”
It follows that one who is impure, who understands that he is impure, dead, as in “The wicked in their lives are called ‘dead,’” this is the first discernment. This is when he is on a “far away road,” namely he is shown from above that he is far from the path of truth and wants to escape the campaign until he invokes mercy. Hence, on First Passover, he is still not pure.
Passover is “left line,” meaning he is shown the secrets of Torah. “Right” is called “pure,” which is the state of Hesed [mercy/grace], when his work is in order to bestow. However, on Second Passover he repents, purifies himself with Hesed, meaning to bestow. At that time, he can be rewarded with Passover, which is the left line, Hochma.
After Shabbat, Shemot, Tav-Shin-Lamed-Het, December 31, 1977
“Moses said … ‘And they will say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?’ And God said to Moses, ‘I will be who I will be.’ He said, ‘Thus shall you say to the children of Israel, ‘I will be’ sent me to you.’” RASHI interpreted, “I will be” with them in this trouble, and I will be with them in the enslavement of the rest of the kings.
He said to Him, “Master of the world, why am I reminding them of another trouble? This trouble is enough for them.” He told him, “Well said, thus shall you say to the children of Israel, ‘I will be’ sent me to you.’” RASHI interpreted that the Creator reiterated what He had said earlier to Moses alone, and said “I will be” twice, while to Israel, he said “I will be” only once (Berachot 9).
“And they said, ‘An Egyptian man saved us from the hand of the shepherds.’” There is an allegory in the Midrash about a man who was bitten by a donkey, and he ran to put his feet in the water. He put it in the river and saw an infant sinking in the water, so he stretched out his hand and saved him. The infant said to him, “Were it not for you, I would have been dead.” He replied to the infant, “It was not I who saved you, but the donkey, which bit me and I ran from it. He is the one who saved you.” This is why they said to their father, “An Egyptian man saved us from the hands of the shepherds.” But who caused the Egyptian man to come to us? The Egyptian man that he had killed.
What does this tell us? We can interpret this by intimation. Moses was to come to the general public of Israel and tell them that the Creator will deliver them from exile. Therefore, He told him only once, “I will be,” meaning that they would have exile only in that Israel are in exile among the nations of the world.
In other words, we should discern between the gentile in Israel—who is in exile among the nations, when one wants what the nations want, meaning every corporeal thing, and the gentiles do not give them what they want. When the gentiles of the nations of the world rule over the gentiles of the people of Israel, this is called “corporeal exile.”
But exile is primarily in the quality of Israel in a person, when he should observe the Torah and Mitzvot [commandments] and the gentiles within him do not give him the freedom to do what he wants. At that time, one feels that he is in exile within his own body. Before one emerges from this exile, from corporeal lusts, he cannot feel spiritual pleasures from Torah and Mitzvot.
Then, the body is made to understand that it is better for it to relinquish corporeal lusts, for by this he will be rewarded with real pleasures. And when he begins to relinquish corporeal lusts, the body wants to show its governance and resists his actions. This is the meaning of the words, “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.”
That is, before we begin to speak with the body, called “wicked Pharaoh,” “to speak in Your name,” meaning relinquish everything for sake of the Creator, we see the lowliness of the body and begin to feel the exile. This is one “I will be,” meaning in this trouble. This pertains to the general public of Israel.
However, there is work called “the quality of Moses,” which is the Torah. This is the second trouble. That is, when one has been rewarded with spiritual pleasures, there is the trouble that at that time he cannot aim in order to bestow, meaning to decide that if not for the purpose of Mitzva [commandment], he relinquishes the spiritual pleasures. This is harder than relinquishing corporeal pleasures because the greater the pleasure, the harder it is to relinquish it.
This is regarded as the second “I will be,” meaning a second trouble. However, this pertains only to those who learn Torah, called “the quality of Moses.” This is (not) for the whole of Israel to learn, but to learners of Torah, who must know that it is forbidden to receive spiritual pleasures for oneself, as well, but rather only in order to bestow, called Masach [screen] and Aviut [thickness].
The Creator promised Moses that He would deliver them from both the first and second troubles. However, we must know that emerging from the first trouble is mainly emergence from corporeal lusts, and that without it, it is impossible to achieve spiritual pleasures.
This is the allegory in the Midrash, “An Egyptian man saved us from the hands of the shepherds.” That is, the fact that he killed the Egyptian, meaning the first reason, we must also remember, even afterward, when we come to the second state, which is the exile over spiritual pleasures, that we must receive them in order to bestow, and the body disagrees. That is, killing the Egyptian refers to corporeal lusts, called “Egyptian.”
Conversely, the second trouble is the quality of Israel, meaning that he has spiritual pleasures, and yet he is in trouble because he must overcome in order to bestow, and needs the Creator to deliver him also from this trouble.
“And it came to pass that when Pharaoh sent the people, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, for it was near, since God said, ‘The people might change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.’ So God led the people around by the way of the desert to the Red Sea.”
We must interpret this according to the prevalent reality. When one wants to walk on the path of truth, each one asks, “Why?”
“And it came to pass that when Pharaoh sent the people,” meaning that the body as a whole is called “Pharaoh,” and he must choose to let the people come out, meaning all the powers and thoughts will be the Creator’s and not under his control. This means that all his powers will serve the body, but he will use them for the sake of the Creator.
Why did the Creator let them walk to the holy land—a land flowing with milk and honey, which the Creator promised to give the inheritance of the land to our holy fathers—through the far away road and did not give them the near road, as it is written, “And God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, for it was near.”
“Near” and “far” mean that which is close to the mind, which the mind approves of doing. Also, it should be close to the heart, to coincide with one’s heart, meaning what the will to receive feels is to its own benefit, as it was with Adam HaRishon before the sin, when the scrutiny was by bitter and sweet, as it is written in the “Introduction to Panim Masbirot.”
“Anyone who sanctifies the seventh as he should … his reward is great, according to his work.” We should understand the meaning of “according to his work.” Also, what is the novelty, since in corporeality we also receive reward only according to our work, and one who works overtime receives a higher salary than one who does not work overtime. Hence, what is the novelty in saying “his reward is great,” and then saying that he will be rewarded only according to his work?
Our sages said, “He who walks and does not do, the reward for walking is in his hand.” We should understand the meaning of doing. Our sages said, “Great is the learning that yields action, and it is not the learning that is most important, but the action” (Kidushin 40b).
Baal HaSulam interpreted that “an act” is when a person turns his vessels of reception into vessels of bestowal, as our sages said, “Let all your actions be for the sake of the Creator.” The Midrash says that this doing is the meaning of “I have created the evil inclination; I have created the Torah as a spice,” that this is the doing to which one should come.
Our sages said, “Man’s inclination overcomes him every day. If the Creator did not help him, he would not overcome it.” We should understand why the Creator did not give us the power to defeat the evil inclination. But if this is not within man’s hands, why does the Creator not do everything?
In other words, why must one fight with the evil inclination while the Creator only helps him, but if the person does not begin the war, the Creator does not help him? Also, why does the Creator need man to make the war and then He will come and help him, as our sages said, “One should always vex the good inclination over the evil inclination,” and RASHI interpreted, “make war with it” (Berachot5a)? This implies that first, one must begin the war and then the Creator helps him.
Baal HaSulam explained what Abraham asked the Creator, “How will I know that I will inherit it?” “And He said unto Abraham, ‘Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and they will be enslaved and tortured four hundred years … and afterward they will come out with great possessions.”
Baal HaSulam explained that when he saw the promise that the Creator had given him, saying, “to give this land to you to inherit it,” he said, “How will I know?” since there is no light without a Kli[vessel], and he did not see that his sons would have a need for these attainments, but that they would be content with little.
Therefore, He said to him, “Know for certain” that they will be in exile and will want to emerge from the exile. Then, without the help, they will not be able to come out from the exile in Egypt. Therefore, by this they will have to receive His help. Also, each time, they will need more bestowals, and by this they will come to need the light of Torah, for only the Torah is the spice.
This is as was said in The Zohar, “He who comes to purify is aided.” It asks, “With what?” and it answers, “With a holy soul. When one is born, he is given Nefesh [soul] from the side of a pure beast. If he is rewarded more, he is given Ruach [spirit].” It follows that by this they will come to need the Creator’s help and will thereby have the Kelim [vessels] to receive the inheritance of the land.
By this we can interpret what we asked, What does it mean that he walks and does not do? It is one who begins to walk on the path of the Creator to achieve “action.” This is the meaning of “Anyone who sanctifies the Shevi’i [seventh],” and Baal HaSulam interpreted that Shevi’i means Shebi-Hu [He is in me].
Accordingly, it means that when one properly sanctifies the point in the heart within him, he begins to enter the exile in Egypt. At that time, he begins to see each time how far he is from the act of bestowal. Then, Kelim form within him, meaning deficiencies, which the Creator will later be able to fill.
It follows that a person must begin the war so as to have Kelim and a need for salvation and the help of the Creator, as was said, “If the Creator did not help him, he would not overcome it.” It follows that He did not give man the ability to win the war on purpose, since through the war one obtains the Kelim and need for the abundance.
Hence, we need both: to enter the war so as to obtain Kelim, and the help that is required is that specifically the Creator will help him, since through the help he obtains the inheritance of the land that the Creator promised to Abraham.
Accordingly, “according to his work” means the opposite of corporeality. In corporeality, each time we do a good job, we are paid according to the quality of the work. But here it is the complete opposite: The more one sees that he is incapable of anything in Kedusha [holiness], the more help he needs. Hence, each time he must be given more help from above, meaning greater attainment.
It follows that “his reward is great according to his work, meaning that when he sees his flaw, he can receive a greater filling. This is the meaning of “going and not doing.” He went to war but did not do, meaning that he could not make all his actions be for the sake of the Creator. He is told, “The reward for walking is in his hand,” meaning that specifically one who walks but does not do needs the help of the Creator, and specifically by this he receives the inheritance of the fathers.
It is interpreted in the Sulam [Ladder commentary on The Zohar], “‘And Judah approached him,’ for Judah is the Nukva [female] meaning a prayer, and Joseph is redemption.” The text tells us that when they approached each other for a Zivug [coupling] until, “And Joseph could not withhold himself” and revealed to them those Mochin [lights].
In regard to the above-said, we can interpret the verse, “And Judah approached him and said, ‘My lord, may your servant please speak a word in my lord’s ears, and do not be angry with your servant, for you are as Pharaoh.’” Here he brings an order by which to approach a prayer and ask the Creator to save him.
When a person wants to walk on the path of truth, and truth is called Lishma [for Her sake]—as Maimonides says in Hilchot Teshuva—he sees that he is far from the truth.
A prayer is Malchut, who is called Judah, who was a Melech [king], for Israel are sons of kings, the sons of Malchut. Malchut is called “the assembly of Israel,” the collection of the soul of Israel. Hence, each one is called Malchut.
When he comes to pray to the Creator to bring him closer to His true work, which is called “truth,” he says to the Creator, “Our sages said, ‘I have created the evil inclination; I have created the Torah as a spice.’ Thus, what I ask of You, to give me the light of Torah, is not because I need the Gadlut[greatness/adulthood] of the Mochin. Therefore, ‘Do not be angry with your servant,’ since all the light of Torah that I seek is not luxuries, but a necessity.”
“You are as Pharaoh,” since there are two kings in the world: 1) The King of all Kings, 2) An old and foolish king, called “Wicked Pharaoh.”
Since “You are as Pharaoh,” meaning I do not feel any greatness in the Creator, and do not have importance of Kedusha [holiness], but it has the same taste and value as Pharaoh, and even at the most important time, when both are of the same value and I must determine whether for Kedusha or for Tuma’a [impurity]—and this is called “for You are as Pharaoh”—when they are of equal weight, this is the most important time. Sometimes, Pharaoh is more important than the Kedusha.
Hence, when he asks the Creator to show him the light of His Torah, it is a necessity and not because he wants Gadlut. This is why he said, “Do not be angry with your servant.” This is the meaning of “And Judah approached him,” for approaching is only a prayer, which is Malchut.
Joseph is redemption, as in “Joseph could not withhold himself,” and revealed to him the Mochin. This is the meaning of “No man stood with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers.” When the Creator reveals Himself, “No man stood.” That is, at that time a person annuls his being and begins to walk on the path of truth.
Isru-Hag [the day after] Passover, Tav-Shin-Lamed-Bet, 1972
The evil in a person is regarded as evil only when one feels that it is evil. That is, the extent that the evil prevents him from receiving abundance determines the measure of the evil.
Normally, if one loses a penny to one’s friend, he does not hate him for this, since a penny is not important enough to fight with the other over it. But to the extent that his friend causes him losses, the level of hatred forms in him until he cannot stand him.
It follows that to the extent that a person has importance of Torah and Mitzvot [commandments], to that extent he can determine the measure of hatred for the evil, which interferes with his engagement in Torah and Mitzvot. For this reason, if a person wants to come to hate the evil, he must increase the importance of spirituality.
At that time, he will receive such a measure of hatred that will remove him from befriending his evil, as it is written, “You who love the Lord hate evil.” That is, to the extent that a person loves the Creator, so he hates those who interfere with loving the Creator.
