Autor: arhiprofesor

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Mind and Heart

The will to receive is expressed in mind and in heart. By correcting it to work in order to bestow, a person can receive the upper abundance.

Let us explain the will to receive in the heart. The heart is called “desire and yearning for pleasures.” Hence, if a person can correct his actions in a manner that he can relinquish all the pleasures in the world if he sees that it will not yield any benefit to the glory of the Creator, he is rewarded with receiving real pleasures because now their reception will not be for his own benefit.

By intimation, this is implied in the verse, “And he looked this way and that, and saw there was no person, and he struck the Egyptian.” RASHI interprets that he saw that nothing good would come out of his offspring, meaning that he saw that from this Egyptian, meaning from this act, there will be no benefit.

“He struck the Egyptian,” not letting him satisfy his will and rejecting his request. This is called “putting to death the act and the thought of that Egyptian,” who is included in his heart. Also, the pleasure of the mind is only in doing what he understands what he is doing. To the extent that he does things against his reason, when his reason demands otherwise, his suffering is measured by the measure of resistance to his mind.

When a person goes above his mind, when he is given the mind that approves of all his work, he will be able to say that he is receiving all this in order to bestow, since for his part, he can relinquish the mind.

At that time, he can be rewarded with the light of faith, for he can relinquish because his aim is not for himself. The proof of this is that he does everything even if it is against the intellect. Naturally, he is able to receive the light of faith and can be certain that his aim is to bestow.

But when he cannot work in faith, but only where the mind approves, meaning according to the will to receive, he remains inside the Tzimtzum [restriction]. For this reason, we need two works: mind and heart.

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All Bitter Herb [Maror]

At the time of redemption, one feels that the exile was all bitter. But before the redemption, we still cannot know that the exile is so bitter. This is the meaning of “As the advantage of the light from within the darkness.” When we see the light, we can see the darkness. This is the meaning of “If there is no knowledge (for reason is still in exile), from where is there distinction?”

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The Meaning of Exile

“When Israel are in exile, the Shechina [Divinity] is with them.” This means that if one falls into a descent, spirituality is also descended in him. But according to the rule, “a Mitzva [commandment] induces a Mitzva,” why does he come into a descent? Answer: He is given a descent from above so as to feel that he is in exile and ask for mercy, to be delivered from exile. This is called “redemption,” and there cannot be redemption if there is no exile there, first.

What is exile? It is that he is under the rule of self-love and cannot work for the sake of the Creator. When is self-love considered exile? It is only when he wants to emerge from this control because he suffers from not being able to do anything for the sake of the Creator.

It follows that when he began to work, there had to be some pleasure and reward for which the body agreed to this work. Afterward, when he was permitted to see that there is the matter of “for the sake of the Creator,” because a Mitzva induces a Mitzva, and he had to ask to be delivered from exile, then he runs from the exile.

How does he run from the exile? It is by saying that he will not succeed in this work. Thus, what does he do? He commits suicide, meaning leaves the work and returns to corporeal life, which is regarded as “The wicked in their lives are called ‘dead.’”

It follows that where he should have asked for redemption from exile, he runs from the exile and commits suicide. This is as it is written, “The ways of the Lord are straight; the righteous will walk in them, and transgressors will fail in them.” However, he should go above reason.

A descent in spirituality does not mean that now he has no faith. Rather, now he must do more work, and the previous faith is considered a descent compared to this work.

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Sanctification of the Month

“This month shall be the beginning of months for you” (Exodus 12).

RASHI interpreted: “Moses was perplexed over the birth of the moon: To what extent should it be seen in order to be fit for sanctification? He showed him with the finger the moon in the firmament and said to him, ‘This you shall see and sanctify.’”

The interprets asked, What was so perplexing to Moses concerning the sanctification of the moon? Also, what is the connection to showing him with the finger? What does the word “finger” imply to us?

Baal HaSulam said that the moon implies Malchut, which pertains to the acceptance of the burden of the kingdom of heaven. It was difficult for Moses to tell the people of Israel to take upon themselves the burden of the kingdom of heaven when they feel concealment. It stands to reason that if he approached the people of Israel to take upon themselves the kingdom of heaven with some revelation of Godliness, there would be something with which to speak to them. But with the intention that the moon is still not full and should be sanctified at the time of its birth, when it is still not apparent how she receives the light of the sun, and when it still does not shine, yet at that time it must be sanctified?

The meaning is that a person must take upon himself the burden of the kingdom of heaven on the lowest quality, and say about it that to him, even that state, the lowest that can be, meaning one that is entirely above reason, when he has no support from the mind, and the feeling that he can build its foundations on it.

At that time, he is seemingly standing between heaven and earth and has no support, for then everything is above reason.

Then a person says that the Creator sent him this state, where he is in utter lowliness, since the Creator wants him to take upon himself the burden of the kingdom of heaven in this manner of lowliness.

At that time, he takes upon himself because he believes above reason that the situation he is in now comes to him from the Creator, meaning that the Creator wants him to see the lowest possible state in the world.

And yet, he must say that he believes in the Creator in all manners. This is considered that he has made an unconditional surrender. That is, a person does not say to the Creator, “If You give me a good feeling, to feel that ‘The whole earth is full of His glory,’ I will believe.”

Rather, when he has no reason and no sensation of spirituality, he cannot accept the burden of the kingdom of heaven and observe the Torah and Mitzvot [commandments]. Rather, he must accept the kingdom of heaven unconditionally.

This is what perplexed Moses: How could he come to the people of Israel with such lowliness? It is about this that the Creator showed him with the finger and said, “This you shall see and sanctify,” meaning the moon at the time of its birth, when its virtue is still not apparent.

Precisely by accepting the kingdom of heaven in lowliness, on this basis, it will later be revealed what our sages said, “Rabbi Elazar said, ‘The Creator is destined to pardon the righteous and dwell among them in the Garden of Eden, and each one will point with his finger as was say, ‘And he said on that day, ‘Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us. This is the Lord for whom we have waited; let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation’’’” (Taanit 31).

It follows that the hint that the Creator points to the moon with the finger and says, “This,” by this we are rewarded that each one points with his finger, “Behold, this is our God.”

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What Does It Mean that the Right and the Left Are in Contrast, in the Work?

Article No. 47, Tav-Shin-Nun-Aleph, 1989-91

The verse says (Deuteronomy 29:8), “Keep the words of this covenant and do them so you may be wise in all that you do.” We should understand why he says, “Keep and do them so you may be wise in all that you do.” This implies that doing is so that by this “you may be wise in all that you do.” It follows that doing is like a preparation, where by doing, we will be able to be wise in what we do.

This means that there are two matters to discern here in the work: 1) The act, as it is written, “and do them.” 2) The learning in the doing, as it is written, “so you may be wise in all that you do.” Ostensibly, this is a contradiction: On one hand, it means that the main thing is the act, as it is written, “and keep and do them.” But then, it is written, “so you may be wise in all that you do.” This implies that doing is only a means by which to achieve understanding with the intellect and knowledge.

The Zohar says that we should make two discernments in the 613 Mitzvot [commandments/good deeds]: 1) It calls the first discernments “613 Eitin [Aramaic: counsels].” 2) It calls the second discernments “613 Pekudin [Aramaic: deposits].”

The difference between them is that Eitin means that that thing is not the goal, but only advice how to achieve the goal. Thus, it is difficult to understand why he says that the 613 Mitzvot are only counsels, and then he says that they are called “613 Pekudin.”

He interprets in the Sulam [Ladder commentary on The Zohar] (“Introduction of The Book of Zohar,” “General Explanation for All Fourteen Commandments and How They Divide into the Seven Days of Creation,” Item 1), “When rewarded with hearing ‘the voice of His word,’ the 613 Mitzvot become Pekudin, from the word Pikadon [Hebrew: deposit], for in each Mitzva [singular of Mitzvot], the light of a unique degree is deposited, which corresponds to a unique organ in the 613 organs and tendons of the soul and the body. It follows that while performing the Mitzva, one extends to its corresponding organ in his soul and body the degree of light that belongs to that organ and tendon.”

Therefore, according to what he interprets there in the Sulam, we should interpret simply that he says that “In all things there are Panim [anterior/face] and Achor [posterior/back]. The preparation for something is called Achor, and the attainment of the matter is called Panim. Similarly, in Torah and Mitzvot there are ‘We shall do’ and ‘We shall hear.’ When observing Torah and Mitzvot as ‘doers of His word,’ prior to being rewarded with ‘hearing the voice of His word,’ the Mitzvot are called ‘613 Eitin,’ and are regarded as Achor.”

Accordingly, we can understand what we asked, Why does it say, “Keep and do them”? which implies that doing is the most important, and afterward he says, “so you may be wise.” That is, when I tell you, “Do them,” it is only a preparation to attain the actions. It follows that the main thing is the learning, the intellect, and the mind, and not the action.

The answer is that the main thing is the action, since without the actions we cannot obtain anything. But through the actions we can obtain Dvekut [adhesion], called “equivalence of form,” since from Lo Lishma [not for Her sake] we come to Lishma [for Her sake]. Hence, the actions are the most important.

In the actions themselves, we need to make two discernments:

1) The actions themselves, when they are still means. That is, they are only a preparation by which to obtain the vessels of bestowal. After he obtains through the actions the Kelim [vessels] called “desire to bestow,” he obtains the light that is clothed in the actions.

This means that all the actions that he did prior to being rewarded with vessels of bestowal, although then, too, the light was clothed in Torah and Mitzvot, but it was as a deposit that is clothed in Torah and Mitzvot. In other words, he was unable to see what was in the Torah and Mitzvot because he still did not have the Kelim that are suitable to the light. But afterward, when he is rewarded with vessels of bestowal, he receives the light that is clothed in Torah and Mitzvot, and then we see that before he was rewarded with seeing, the light was already clothed in the 613 Mitzvot, but it was there as a deposit.

Therefore, this is not a contradiction that first it says that the action is the most important, as it is written, “and do them,” since we begin with action and end with action, but there is a discernment in between, meaning before he is rewarded with vessels of bestowal or after he is rewarded with vessels of bestowal. This means that through the actions, he is rewarded with Kelim, and then, through the actions, he is rewarded with the light. This is called “so you may be wise in all that you do,” meaning that afterward he is rewarded with “Learn and know Me.”

However, we must remember that before we are rewarded with vessels of bestowal, when we want to be rewarded with working for the sake of the Creator and not for our own sake, there are many ups and downs in this work. It is known that the body objects to work that aims to achieve Dvekut with the Creator, and once the good within man prevails, and once the bad within man prevails. This is called “the war of the inclination.” In other words, there is work in action, which is the work of the general public, who should aim that the acts they do will not be for the purpose of respect, money, and so forth, but for the sake of the Creator.

Hence, those who want to work for the sake of the Creator do their deeds in concealment. The measure of concealment is as Baal HaSulam said, that a person should behave just like the people in his surroundings. In other words, he should not be conspicuous in his environment. If he shows that he slights customs that are practiced in his surroundings, or that he is stricter in some matters more than is customary in his surroundings, the work of that person is no longer in a state of concealment, since when people are in a certain environment, if one of them does something different from the environment, that person draws attention from the society and everyone looks at him. It follows that his work is not in concealment.

These people feel the taste in the work as Surrounding Light, which shines to the general public of Israel. This is as it is written, “I am the Lord, who dwells with them in the midst of their impurity.” This means that although a person has not been purified of self-love, and all his work is in order for the Creator to reward him in this world and in the next world, they are still regarded as working for the sake of the Creator.

In this work, a person can see his progress, since each day he adds Torah and Mitzvot. Naturally, he can derive from this vitality and joy and can observe what is written, “Serve the Lord with gladness.” It is known that this work is called “one line.” In other words, a person does not know that “for the sake of the Creator” is something that requires special attention. Rather, like the rest of the people, they have faith in our sages, who said, “One should always engage in Torah and Mitzvot, even if Lo Lishma [not for Her sake], since from Lo Lishma he comes to Lishma [for Her sake].” However, he does not think that these work and intention require time and work. He thinks that it comes naturally, without any special work, as our sages said, “From Lo Lishma we come to Lishma.” For this reason, this work is called “one line.”

But if a person comes to understand that for the sake of the Creator is special work, that this work does not pertain to the general public, but only to those who received an awakening from above that the intention should also be to bestow, that it is something special, and begins to examine whether he can work for the sake of the Creator and not for his own sake, to this work the body objects, since it is human nature that he does not understand anything that is not for his own benefit.

Here begin the above-mentioned ascents and descents. It follows that the examination that the person did on his actions, whether they are for the sake of the Creator or for his own sake, when he sees his lowliness and how far he is from this work, a person should pray to the Creator to give him the power to overcome the will to receive for oneself.

At that time, sometimes the body argues, “You saw how many times you prayed to the Creator to help but you did not receive any help. Therefore, it must be that this work is not for you.” A person cannot always overcome such complaints. In that state, one remains as though dead, completely lifeless, and naturally, he cannot persist and continue in this work.

This path is called “left line” in the work, since there is a rule that anything that requires correction is called “left.”

Therefore, in the work, a person must not engage in this manner, meaning to examine whether his work is in wholeness. Rather, as is said (“Order of the work,” Item 9), where he says, “In the work on the left, half an hour a day is enough.”

The majority of man’s work should be on the right line, called “wholeness.” In this work, a person should be without criticism, to see if his work is in wholeness. A person should say, “Even though my actions in Torah and Mitzvot are incomplete, I am still grateful to the Creator for giving me the intellect and will to have some grip on Kedusha [holiness]. That is, whatever grip I have, I regard as a great fortune, since I see that many people in the world have no connection to Torah and Mitzvot, so I am happy with my share, that I was given some contact. And since I believe that this is an important thing, the little bit of contact with spirituality is more important to me than my whole life in this world. I do not deserve to be given more than I have, and the rest of the time I am confused by all kinds of nonsense that I cannot overcome. Therefore, I am happy all day long and this gives me high spirits, since I know my lowliness. Therefore, I am thankful to the Creator for the small part with which I have been privileged.”

According to the above, we should interpret what is written (Deuteronomy 26:11), “You shall rejoice in all the good which the Lord your God has given you.” We should understand this. Should one be commanded to rejoice if he has abundance? Naturally, when one has abundance, he is happy. If it is otherwise, if he does not have abundance, then it can be said that he should be ordered to be happy. Therefore, what does it imply that it says, “You shall rejoice in all the good which He has given you”?

We should interpret this in the work. There is a matter of work of the right and of the left. “Right” is called “wholeness,” when one has already begun to walk on the path toward obtaining vessels of bestowal, when he has already entered the left line, meaning that he wants to see the truth, whether he can work for the sake of the Creator and not for himself. This causes one ascents and descents in the work, and as a result, a person has no fuel to continue the work. Rather, the left line shows him the truth, that he should not fool himself that he has already achieved his wholeness.

However, in order to have motivation to work, a person can receive this only when he feels wholeness in the work. At that time, he has joy from what he is doing. However, since the right and left contradict one another, meaning that either one feels that he has wholeness, or that he is deficient, but how can there be two opposites in one subject?

The answer is that although they are in one subject, they are still in two times. That is, there is a time when a person should be in lowliness, and there is a time when one should be in pride. This is as Baal HaSulam said, that in the work, there are always two opposites: 1) Our sages said, “Be very, very humble.” It follows that the essence of man’s work is to try to be low in his spirit. 2) It is written, “And his heart was high in the ways of the Lord.” This means that a person should be proud, meaning to try to be proud and not look at the general public. Instead, he should try to be higher than the general public. It follows that we should ask about this, too, how can there be two opposites in one subject? Here, too, we must answer that this refers to two times, one after the other, for then both can exist.

However, we should ask why we need these opposites. That is, why do we need this oppositeness, and why is one way—either lowliness or pride—not enough?

The answer is that we must walk on two lines, the right, as well as the left, even though they contradict one another. That is, precisely when they contradict one another, they yield the result that we need in order to obtain the purpose of creation, which is His desire to do good to His creations. That is, it is impossible to receive the delight and pleasure from the Creator before we have corrected ourselves with vessels of bestowal, which is the meaning of equivalence of form.

Therefore, although by nature, man is born with a desire to receive for his own benefit, when a person is told to observe Torah and Mitzvot, we must say that by observing Torah and Mitzvot, you will be rewarded in this world and in the next world. To the extent of his faith in reward and punishment, he observes Torah and Mitzvot. Although he is working for the sake of the Creator, meaning he wants to receive reward from the Creator and not from people, since he does not engage in Torah and Mitzvot for people to see how he works, but his work is only for the sake of the Creator, because of the commandment of the Creator, this is still called Lo Lishma.

That is, although in practice he engages in Torah and Mitzvot only for the sake of the Creator, his intention is his own benefit. Hence, this is called Lo Lishma. Yet, our sages said, “One should always engage in Torah and Mitzvot Lo Lishma, since from Lo Lishma he comes to Lishma.” A person should say, “I dwell among my own people,” meaning that each one should work like the rest of the public. But without special attention, the person will remain in Lo Lishma and will never achieve the purpose of creation.

For this reason, at that time a person should say, “And his heart was high in the ways of the Lord,” meaning “I do not want to be at the degree of lowliness like the general public. I do need to achieve the purpose of creation.” This is considered that he begins work in criticism to see how much he prefers the love of the Creator over his love of self. This criticism makes him deficient, and he begins to seek advice how to emerge from the governance of self-love.

However, here, in this state, when there is a war between the will to receive in a person and the desire that is now within him, which wants to acquire the desire to bestow, sometimes the desire to bestow prevails, and sometimes to the contrary, and the will to receive prevails. This is why at that time there are ascents and descents. A person should know that while he is in a state of deficiency, he has nothing from which to draw vitality, and then he has no fuel to continue the work in Torah and Mitzvot. This is why he must shift to the right line.

The right line is actually one line. That is, the same order of work that he had while working only in action, called Lo Lishma, should be applied now. That is, he needn’t pay attention whether his work is Lishma, rather now he should say that he is not more important than other people, and as the rest of the people who work in Lo Lishma are satisfied with the work and are high-spirited, likewise, he, who is worse than they are, certainly does not deserve a more important place in the work.

In other words, even compared to the rest of the workers, he is at a lower degree than they are in both quantity and quality, and he must thank the Creator for giving him a thought and desire to do something in spirituality, as this is a gift from the Creator, who has rewarded him with a little bit of work in Torah and Mitzvot, for he does not even deserve this much, as he sees that there are many people who have no connection to Torah and Mitzvot. At that time, when one feels himself in wholeness, that person is called “blessed.” Baal HaSulam said about this that when one feels blessed, he can adhere to the Blessed, as it is written, “The blessed clings to the Blessed.”

Therefore, precisely from this state, a person receives fuel for the work. When a person works on the left line, he is in a state where he should say, “and his heart was high in the ways of the Lord.” That is, he must not regard the general public, but rather be at a higher degree than the general public. This applies only when he works on the left line.

Afterward, he should shift to the right line, of which our sages said, “Be very, very humble.” For this reason, he truly is humble. At that time, a person should know that he is not more important than others, and he is happy that he was given from above the desire and yearning to do something in Torah and Mitzvot. This is the meaning of the words “rejoice in all the good,” meaning even anything, from this a person should receive joy.

Now we can understand why the right and the left must be in contrast in the work. It is so because a person must work in two manners: 1) in wholeness. At that time he can receive fuel for the work, since it is impossible to live on negation. Hence, the majority of one’s time, he should be in the work of the right. But when one feels satisfaction in one’s work, who causes him to advance? After all, there is a rule that if a person feels no deficiency, he does not change his way, since he is satisfied.

For this reason, we must shift to the left line, to examine his actions, whether they are done in order to bestow. From this he can see what there is to correct, so he will achieve the purpose of creation, and the deficiency that a person sees in his work makes him advance.

In other words, if he sees that he is not walking on the right path, he will certainly want to correct himself, since during the examination, a person can see the truth, since if he is not walking on the path of truth, a curse befalls him, as it is written (Deuteronomy 28:41), “You shall have sons and daughters but they will not be yours, for they will go into captivity.”

We should interpret that in the work, “sons and daughters” are the good deeds of the righteous, as was said about what is written, “These are the generations of Noah; Noah was a righteous man.” They asked, “‘These are the generations [offspring],’ it should have mentioned the names of his sons. Why does it say ‘Noah was a righteous man’? Rather, we learn that the primary offspring of the righteous are good deeds.”

Accordingly we should interpret “You shall have sons and daughters.” This means that you will do good deeds, but when you want to see what good deeds you did, you will have nothing to see. But, you engaged in Torah and Mitzvot, and yet you do not feel that you did something in the work. We should ask, “But you engaged in Torah and Mitzvot, so where did the good deeds that you did disappear?”

The answer is that they went “into captivity.” That is, they were taken captive by the Klipot[shells/peels]. This is why they disappeared from the horizon and you cannot see them. This pushes a man to seek advice how to emerge from the governance of the will to receive for himself. Baal HaSulam said that after a person has repented, he brings back out to Kedusha all his work that fell into the Klipot, as it is written, “He swallowed down riches, and he will vomit it out.”

But before one repents, his work makes the sea of the Sitra Achra [other side], as it is written, “There is the sea, great and broad, in which are swarms without number, animals both small and great.” He said that they are small animals and big animals that the person had and which were lost from him, fell into that sea. But afterward, he takes it all back.

It therefore follows that both lines are required. Precisely by being in contrast, they yield the required result in order to achieve the purpose of creation, which is “to do good to His creations.” We should also know that concerning “right,” which is wholeness, a person can use it only when he can lower himself. But as for the left line, he can use it precisely when he is in a state of pride.

Inapoi la pagina 1991 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Inapoi la pagina 1991 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

What Is the Son of the Beloved and the Son of the Hated in the Work?

Article No. 46, Tav-Shin-Nun-Aleph, 1989-91

The Midrash says (presented in Baal HaTurim) about what is written, “If a man has two wives, the one loved and the other hated.” He says, “‘If a man has two wives’ is the Creator. ‘Loved’ are the idol-worshippers, to whom He shows His face, and ‘hated’ are Israel, from whom He hides His face.”

We should understand this, since it contradicts all the places that write that the Creator loves His people, Israel, as it is written (Malachi 1:2-3), “‘I loved you,’ says the Lord. But you say, ‘How did You love us?’ ‘Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?’ declares the Lord. ‘Yet I loved Jacob and I hated Esau.’” Also, we say, “Who chooses Israel, His people, with love.”

We should interpret this in the work: It is known that in the work, we speak of everything within one body. For this reason we should interpret saying “two wives” to mean that they are in the same body. This means that there are two forces within man: 1) the desire to receive for one’s own benefit, 2) the desire to bestow, to do everything for the sake of the Creator.

Those two are called “two wives.” In other words, we should determine within man the quality of the “seventy nations of the world,” and the quality of “Israel.” We attribute the “nations of the world” to the will to receive for one’s own benefit, and we attribute “Israel” to the desire to bestow upon the Creator.

We should know that those two desires come from above, meaning that only the Creator gives them and it is not within man’s hands to take them by himself. Rather, the first force, called “will to receive for oneself,” comes to a person without any effort. As soon as one is born, he has this force. But the second force, the “desire to bestow,” does not come from above without labor. This means that first one must seek ways by which to obtain it, and only then does he receive from above the desire to bestow. However, it is not given without labor.

We should understand the reason that the desire to bestow is not given without labor, and the will to receive is given without labor. This is so because in order to achieve the purpose of creation, which is to do good to His creations, He had to create a creation that contains the will to receive pleasure, since without a desire, it is impossible to enjoy anything. Hence, the Creator placed within creation the desire to receive pleasure.

This means that if man did not have it when he was born, it would be impossible to be called “creature,” since this shows us the matter of creation “existence from absence,” meaning that a desire and need were created, where he wants to satisfy his need. For this reason, this desire comes immediately, without any effort. In other words, were it not for the will to receive, there would not be any development, so there would be anything in the world, since we learn everything only by the power of the will to receive, which pushes us to go forward. For this reason, this desire comes to us without any effort.

But concerning the desire to bestow, the Creator does not give it to us without any effort. That is, once we have creation and the Creator should give fulfillment to the creatures, He gives them what they demand and say that they need. At that time the Creator fills their lack. It therefore follows that all the effort that a person makes in Torah and Mitzvot is in order to obtain the lack for the desire to bestow. That is, as man understands that without a desire to receive pleasure, a person cannot live in the world, meaning that if a person sees that if he has nothing to give to his will to receive so it can enjoy, the person knows that he will not be able to exist in the world, since without vitality he is in conflict with the purpose of creation, to do good to His creations.

Likewise, a person must come to feel that unless he has the desire to bestow, by which he can achieve Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator, he also has no life or pleasure in this world. In other words, he sees that he has no satisfaction in life. For this reason, he wants to achieve wholeness, for there must be delight and pleasure in creation. However, without the desire to bestow, a person cannot achieve wholeness. This state is called “lack and need,” and when a person has such a lack, he receives from above, from the Creator, the second desire called “desire to bestow.”

For this reason, one should do all that he can in order to acquire a lack for the desire to bestow. However, one must know that although he wants to do everything in order to bestow, the body does not let him emerge from its governance, and this causes one descents and ascents. That is, once the will to receive prevails over the desire to bestow, meaning that the will to receive brings him desires and thoughts that it is correct, meaning that it gives him a greater taste for self-love, which means that the will to receive, which is the “nations of the world,” receives more flavor each time, so when it acquires more strength, it cancels the need for the desire to bestow.

Hence, all the labor that one has given in order to obtain the need for the desire to bestow departs from him, and the person agrees, during the descent, with the will to receive for oneself. However, afterward, the person recovers and begins once more to work and labor in order to obtain the need for the desire to bestow, and then the will to receive prevails once more. It follows that this is the cause of ascents and descents.

This situation continues until a person comes to a resolution that without His help, it is impossible to attain, not necessarily the actual desire to bestow, but even the need for the desire to bestow also ascends and descends to the point that several times he came to a state where he saw that he could not make any more efforts than he already has. Therefore, he wants to escape the work.

However, we should ask, Why did the Creator make it so there are ascents and descents? As said above, it is in order for man to need to move forward and not settle for little. For this reason, he receives a descent from above. In other words, a person is helped to advance by lowering him from his degree. This causes him to reflect and see what is required of him from above, and for which he was lowered from his degree.

This causes a person to pray to the Creator for help. The help that one receives from above is the preparation because of which he will obtain a soul, as it is written in The Zohar, that he is helped by “a holy soul.” It follows that both the ascents and the descents come from above. That is, the descents, too, help a person, and because of them he achieves the goal he should achieve.

By this we should interpret what The Zohar says (VaYishlach, Item 4), “If a man comes to be purified, the evil inclination surrenders before him and the right governs the left. And both the good inclination and the evil inclination join to keep man in all the roads he travels, as it is written, ‘For He will give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.’”

We should understand how it can be said that the evil inclination keeps a person walking on the straight path. After all, it advises a person not to walk in the way of Torah, fails him in all his ways, and detains him from working for the sake of the Creator but only for his own sake. Thus, we should know how the evil inclination helps him.

The descents that a person receives, when the evil inclination gives him thoughts that are foreign to the spirit of Torah, cause him descents. According to a person’s opinion, it must be that the evil inclination brought him the feeling that love of self is more important than love of the Creator, and that this is the cause of the descents.

But in truth, one should believe that the Creator does everything. In other words, the Creator sends these descents to a person in order for them to give man momentum in the work so he will not be content with little. When a person feels that he does all that he can in Torah and Mitzvot, and he cannot discern the matter of the intention for the sake of the Creator, or that he is working for his own benefit, since when one works in the manner of the general public, an illumination shines on a person as Surrounding Light, giving him satisfaction so he will not feel any lack in his work.

Only when one wants to work in the manner of individuals, meaning that the aim will also be for the sake of the Creator, and not specifically the act (as said in Article No. 45, Tav-Shin-Nun-Aleph), then he is notified from above that he is not all right, and from this he falls into a descent. At that time, one sees his real situation and begins to seek a way by which to emerge from the control of self-love.

It therefore follows that were it not for the evil inclination, which brings him the state of descents, he would remain in a state of ascent and would not need to achieve the goal of Dvekut with the Creator. It follows that the evil inclination is an angel of God, a messenger of the Creator to keep him from staying in a state of “still of Kedusha [holiness],” but rather needing to advance. This is why he says, “For He will give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.” Thus, the evil inclination is also a messenger of the Creator to keep the person.

According to the above, we should interpret what we asked concerning the words of the Midrash that says, “‘If a man has two wives’ is the Creator. ‘Loved’ are the idol-worshippers.” How can it be said that the Creator loves the idol-worshippers? We should interpret that when it says, “If a man has two wives,” it means that the Creator gives to a person two wives, meaning two desires, one loved, meaning the will to receive for one’s own sake. This is called “idol-worshippers,” meaning not for the sake of the Creator but for one’s own sake.

That desire is called “loved,” meaning that the creatures love this desire because the Creator shows them the face. In other words, the Creator created the world because of His desire to do good to His creations. This is considered that the Creator is showing them the face, meaning to the will to receive, for it is impossible to receive pleasure if there is no yearning for the pleasure. Because of this, the Creator shows the face to the will to receive pleasure. That is, All that one does for oneself, one enjoys, and this is considered that He shows him the face.

Yet, why is this called “idol-worshippers”? The answer is that since there was a correction that in order to avoid the issue of shame, it is forbidden to receive in order to receive. One who does receive in order to receive is called in the work, “idol-worshipper.” In other words, he does not work for the sake of the Creator but for his own sake. In the work, this is called “foreign work,” “idol-worshipping.” Although in terms of the actions, he is considered “Israel” and a “servant of the Creator,” in terms of the work, which is to bestow, this is called “idol-worshipping,” meaning work that is foreign to us.

Since a person is born with an inherent nature to work only for one’s own sake, which a person calls “loved,” since the Creator shows them the face, as long as one works for his own sake, he has a desire to work, since by nature, he loves working for the will to receive. But when one wants to work for the sake of the Creator, which is to benefit the Creator and not himself, this desire belongs to the quality of “Israel” in a person, and that desire is called “hated,” since the Creator hides the face from them.

In other words, in order for one to be rewarded with “Israel,” the Creator hides His face from them, since when a person wants to walk in a manner where all his actions are for the sake of the Creator, in order to be able to receive in order to bestow, there had to be a concealment and Tzimtzum[restriction] on the Torah and Mitzvot [commandments/good deeds], so they would be able to say that they are observing Torah and Mitzvot without any reward, but only for the sake of the Creator. Since this is against nature, the body hates this work. And if a person wants to work specifically for the sake of the Creator, he has no other choice but to pray to the Creator to give him the strength to overcome the will to receive and subdue it

A person receives this power from above, as it is written, “He who comes to purify is aided.” That is, he is given a soul from above. It follows that specifically by having hatred for the quality of “Israel” in a person, he cannot overcome, since the body hates bestowal. At that time, there is room for one to truly be rewarded with the degree of “Israel” by asking for help from above.

This is the meaning of what was said, that from the two forces that there are in man—the evil inclination and the good inclination—a person can achieve the completion of the goal, for both of them keep him from veering off from the right path, neither to the right nor to the left, but to come to achieve the completeness of the goal, which is to receive the delight and pleasure that the Creator wants to impart upon the creatures.

It therefore follows that the “loved wife” is the idol-worshippers, and the “hated wife” is Israel. To this we should add that those two forces, the will to receive and the desire to bestow, are also called “man” and “beast.” That is, the will to receive in man is regarded as a “beast,” belonging to the quality of animals, in whom there is only self-benefit, and the “speaking” is the quality of “man,” which is the desire to bestow that man should achieve, and which he can achieve only through great efforts for the above reason, that by nature a person cannot understand how to do anything for the sake of the Creator.

That is, a person is concerned with satisfying the demands of his “beast,” but what the “man” in him demands, a person cannot satisfy. Rather, this requires asking the Creator to give him the power to overcome his “beast,” for without the help of the Creator, governance is given to thoughts and desires that hate the quality of “man” and the quality of “Israel,” which is the quality of “man,” as our sages said, “You are called ‘man,’ and the idol-worshippers are not called ‘man’” (Yevamot 61). Thus, the “hated woman” is “Israel,” from whom the Creator hides His face.

According to the above, we should interpret what our sages said (Avot 1:15), “Welcome every person.” We should understand what this tells us in the work. When a person wants to do something for his quality of “man,” and since the quality of “man” is hated, since all of man’s concerns are only to satisfy the demands that his “beast” demands, and the body loves the quality of the beast, but as for the quality of “man,” which is “Israel,” the body hates it; therefore, our sages came and warned, “Welcome every person,” where “every” means even all that is discerned as “man.”

In other words, we should appreciate even a small thing, if it pertains to the quality of “man.” Our sages told us that we should try to welcome the quality of “man,” and not as it seems to us as hated because the Creator hides His face from them. Rather, we should go above reason and welcome every person above what the mind of our body tells us. That is, we must do things that are suitable for the quality of “man.”

Although the “beast” within us screams and says that the work we want to do for the quality of man are unsuitable for sane people, since what we are, a demanding beast, this is acceptable, and the evidence is that the body loves this work. But what he wants, to work for the quality of “man,” you see that the body hates this. Clearly, the mind makes sense, since it says that by working for the quality of “beast,” this is reasonable and suitable for an intelligent person, while the work that you want to do for the quality of “man,” this is an act of a “beast,” meaning mindless.

Our sages tell us about this that we should not listen to what the body says, that it is making the argument of a “human,” but rather to welcome every “quality of man,” and say, “Although according to the mind and reason, the quality of man is hated, I believe in the words of the sages and I welcome them.”

By this we should interpret what our sage said, “Man and beast You deliver, O Lord.” These are people who are as cunning in their reason as people, and pretend to be as beasts. That is, although rationally, you are correct, and a person should walk on the path that he loves, still, “he pretends to be a beast,” mindless, and goes with faith above reason.

However, we should believe that by observing Torah and Mitzvot in practice in every detail and precision, thanks to the actions, we are rewarded with the Creator helping us from above so we will have the strength to go forward and be rewarded with obtaining the goal, which is that man will receive the delight and pleasure that there is in the purpose of creation. This is so because when we observe Torah and Mitzvot unconditionally, but only because of the commandment of the Creator, this is called an awakening from below. By this, the light and abundance extend from above, and they can emerge from the governance of evil.

This is as our sages said (RASHI in the name of Machilta) about what is written (Exodus 13:12), “When I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you.” (He asks), “‘When I see the blood?’ But everything is revealed before Him! But the Creator said, ‘I look to see that you are engaged in My commandments, and I pass over you.”

We see that our sages said that so that no plague would befall them, meaning to emerge from the control of the evil, called “death,” as our sages said, “The wicked in their lives are called ‘dead,’” we were given the work in practice. Thanks to the work we do, the Creator is revealed to us, as it says, “And it shall be as a token for you.” What do we learn? “In return for the Mitzva that you are performing, I will have mercy on you.” Thus, thanks to the practice of Mitzvot, a person is saved from the governance of the will to receive, called “evil inclination,” and is rewarded with obtaining the desire to bestow.

However, one who walks on one line, who is satisfied with practice, when he works for the sake of the Creator and does not consider the intention, that the intention will also be for the sake of the Creator, he cannot obtain the desire to bestow, called Dvekut [adhesion]. This is so because he has no lack. Hence, these people who have already shifted from one line to the right line, when they see their lowliness, that there is not a single organ in that person that wants to do anything for the sake of the Creator, they yearn for the Creator to deliver them from death, meaning from the governance of self-love. At that time, his way to be rewarded with the Creator being revealed to him, meaning to be rewarded with the desire to bestow, which is when one is adhered to the Creator, a person can be rewarded with it only thanks to the practice, when he wants the reward for observing Torah and Mitzvot will be Dvekut with the Creator. This is the meaning of “In return for the Mitzva [sing. of Mitzvot]that you are performing, I will have mercy on you.” That is, He has mercy on us and saves us from death, which is the governance of the will to receive.

However, we see that man can do anything that is not on the path of correction. We see that this applies both in adults and in little children. And especially, we see this in little children since with grownups, everything already involves several reasons, so we cannot see the truth. But with children, we see this more openly, that children can toil all day, but if we ask them to do something, they say that they have no energy for the work. We should know that this extends from the world of Nekudim, where there was the breaking of the vessels. For this reason anything that does not pertain to correction, we have the strength to do. But if it pertains to correction, there is already labor involved due to the resistance of the body.

Hence, when a person walks on one line, he can observe Torah and Mitzvot in every way. But when he goes on the right line, when the work is on the path of correction, the person should then make great efforts to walk on the path of the “right.” This is why we need strengthening.

Inapoi la pagina 1991 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Inapoi la pagina 1991 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

What Does It Mean that a Judge Must Judge Absolutely Truthfully, in the Work?

Article No. 45, Tav-Shin-Nun-Aleph, 1989-91

Our sages said (Shabbat 10), “Any judge who judges absolutely truthfully, it is as though he becomes partners with the Creator in the work of creation.”

We should understand the following:

1. What is “truthful judgment” and what is “absolutely truthful judgment”? It seems as though there could be a truthful judgment, but the “absolute” will still be missing, although in general, it is truthful. Also, what does “absolutely” mean? That is, what does the “absolutely” add to us?
2. What is the meaning of “it is as though he becomes partners with the Creator in the work of creation”?
3. Why specifically if it is “absolutely truthful” can he become partners with the Creator in the work of creation, whereas if it is merely “truthful,” he cannot become partners? We should understand the reason, meaning the connection between being “absolutely truthful” and the work of creation.

It is known that the work of creation, which is the creation of the world and all that is in it, was with the aim to do good to His creations. In that sense, the world emerged with both the lack and the satisfaction of the lack. This is called “the world of Ein Sof [infinity/no end].” At that time, the upper light filled the whole of reality of creation.

However, in order to prevent the matter of shame, there was a correction called Tzimtzum[restriction], which is a concealment and hiding so the delight and pleasure that the Creator wants to impart upon the creatures will not be apparent in the world before they can aim to bestow contentment upon the Maker.

For this reason, it is upon creation to correct the matter of shame, namely that they must aim in order to bestow. Since the creatures were created with a nature of a desire to receive for oneself, since the Creator wants the creatures to enjoy the abundance that He wishes to give them, He created in them a desire and yearning for the matter. Hence, if the creatures must act to the contrary, to receive with the aim to bestow, this is a lot of work. This is considered that we must make Kelim [vessels] that are fit to receive the delight and pleasure, and that there will not be any shame while receiving the pleasures.

It therefore follows that the Kli [vessel] that should receive the abundance from the Creator consists of two discernments: 1) a desire to receive pleasure, 2) the intention should be in order to bestow.

It follows that in order for the purpose of creation to be carried out, namely for the creatures to receive delight and pleasure, we should note two partners in the making of the Kelim: 1) the Creator, who gave the will to receive, 2) the intention with which the creatures should receive what they receive. This is called “receiving in order to bestow.”

The Kli that is fit to receive the delight and pleasure is made of those two.

Accordingly, we should interpret what we asked, What does it mean that they said, “It is as though he becomes partners with the Creator in the work of creation”? We should understand what it tells us that they say “as though.” The thing is that from the perspective of the light, which is the delight and pleasure, only the Creator gives. In this, we cannot speak of a partnership. But with regard to the Kli, there we can speak of a partnership, since the Creator gave the will to receive and the yearning to receive pleasure, and the creatures give the other half of the Kli, namely the desire to bestow. In other words, we attribute the part of the Kli that is the will to receive to the Creator, and the other part of the Kli, the desire to bestow, we attribute to the creatures; this is what the creatures make. Thus, there are two partners in the Kli.

This is as it is written in The Zohar (“Introduction of The Book of Zohar,” Item 67), “‘And to say to Zion, ‘You are My people.’’ Do not pronounce ‘You are My people [Ami],’ but ‘You are with Me [Imi],’ with a Hirik in the Ayin, which means partnering with Me. As I made heaven and earth with My speech, so you.” That is, I started creation by creating the will to receive, and you must finish, meaning place the intention to bestow on the will to receive. This is called “partnership.”

It follows that the partnership stems primarily as a result of the Tzimtzum and the concealment that were made on the vessels of reception. That is, the light departed because of the correction of the Tzimtzum, but through the correction called “in order to bestow,” the light can shine once more, to the extent that the Kli has a desire to bestow.

Accordingly, we should ask: It is written, “The whole earth is full of His glory,” and it is also written in The Zohar, “There is no place vacant of Him” (no place is vacant from the Creator). This means that there is no place of concealment or Tzimtzum in the world. Yet, we see that when a person comes to a descent, he is under the governance of concealment and Tzimtzum and does not feel any spirituality.

The thing is that from the perspective of the Creator there is no Tzimtzum and “The whole earth is full of His glory.” However, “You are until the world was created, and You are once the world was created.” We should interpret that just as before the world was created (Olam [world] means He’elem [concealment] and hiding), the Creator still filled the whole of reality; likewise, “once the world was created (when the concealment and hiding were created), the Creator also fills the whole of reality, and there was no place vacant of the Creator. However, He is concealed from the creatures; they do not feel Him because of the correction, so there will not be the matter of shame.

It follows that the concealment and hiding that a person feels in the work begins specifically when he wants to be rewarded with Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator, as it is written, “and to cleave unto Him,” which is the matter of equivalence of form. This means that as the Creator wants to delight His creations, man should try to make bringing contentment to the Creator his only concern in life.

In order for one not to fool oneself and say that he has no concern for himself, and his intention is only to bestow upon the Creator, when he is given a descent from above, when he does not feel any flavor in Torah and Mitzvot [commandments/good deeds], a person can see his true state, whether he has no desire for himself and all his thoughts are for the sake of the Creator, or for his own sake. During the descent, a person should say, “I do not care how I feel when I engage in Torah and Mitzvot, since all my thoughts are to benefit the Creator. Therefore, I do my part and I believe that the Creator will enjoy it. Concerning the thought that we should think this way, I receive it from faith in the sages.” Conversely, when his aim is his own benefit, he says otherwise.

This is as it is written in the article “The Order of the Work” by Baal HaSulam (Item 4), “When attributing the work to the Creator, he should believe that the Creator accepts our work, regardless of how the work seems.” A person should only attribute the work to the Creator; this is enough.

Therefore, during the descent, he can see his true state in the work. But the main point is that at that time, he must strengthen himself with faith that “The whole earth is full of His glory.” Thus, even if a person is in a state of lowliness, he must not say that in this place, we cannot say that “The whole earth is full of His glory.” Rather, one should believe what is written, “His glory fills the world,” and it is only hidden from him, and that it was done so that he would have room for choice, and to work in order to bestow and not for his own sake, for because of his aim for his own benefit, he cannot work gladly, since the will to receive for himself does not feel any flavor.

At that time, a person can be pleased that now he has a place where he can say that he is working only for the sake of the Creator. If he cannot overcome and be happy about this work, he should say, “I am happy that I see the truth, that I am far from the work of truth. Hence, now I have a chance to ask of the Creator from the bottom of the heart to help me. Otherwise, I will be lost because I see that I am powerless to overcome and emerge from the governance of the will to receive for oneself.”

We therefore see that the order of the work is that a person should ask for reward for his work in Torah and Mitzvot, by which he will achieve working for the sake of the Creator. This is considered that a person must acquire vessels of bestowal by which he will be able to receive the delight and pleasure, as this was the purpose of creation “to do good to His creations.”

This is as our sages said, “The Torah and Mitzvot were given only so as to cleanse Israel.” That is, the reward they ask in return for observing Torah and Mitzvot is the cleansing, meaning the intention, that by observing Torah and Mitzvot they will be rewarded with the desire to bestow, as our sages said, “The light in it reforms him.”

Accordingly, we should interpret what we asked, What does it mean that they said, “Any judge who judges absolutely truthfully becomes partners with the Creator in the work of creation”? The question is, What is “truth” and what is “absolute truth”?

The answer is, as I wrote (Article No. 44, Tav-Shin-Nun-Aleph), that there are two discernments concerning “for the sake of the Creator”: 1) He is not working for people’s respect or for money. Rather, he is working humbly with the Lord your God, and all his work is in order to observe Torah and Mitzvot, which the Creator commanded us. Therefore, he asks the Creator to give him in this world life, health, provision, and so forth. Also, He should reward him in the next world, as it is written in the Torah, “If you obey, I will givegrass in your field.” That is, the Creator will reward him. This means that the Mitzvot he observes are only for the sake of the Creator.

2) He works for the sake of the Creator, and even his intention is for the sake of the Creator. That is, he does not want any reward, but everything is for the sake of the Creator. This is regarded as the aim also being for the sake of the Creator.

Therefore, we should interpret that mere “truth” means that only his actions are for the sake of the Creator, but he still cannot make the intention for the sake of the Creator. Therefore, when speaking in terms of the work, it means that any person who wants to judge himself and see his situation in the work needs to be a truthful judge.

Although he is a truthful judge, who sees that all his actions are for the sake of the Creator, that judge still cannot be “as though he becomes partners with the Creator in the work of creation.” That is, the work of creation is the creation of the world, where the intention was to delight His creations. A correction was made so that in order to avoid the bread of shame, the creatures must make the other half of the Kli, which is the aim in order to bestow. And since he judges truthfully, he is still unfit to receive the delight and pleasure because there is still disparity of form between him and the light. Hence, he cannot be a partner.

Conversely, a judge who judges absolutely truthfully, meaning that the aim is also for the sake of the Creator, then there is already a correction of the vessels of reception, so there is equivalence between the Kli and the light. At that time, the light can shine in that Kli and that judge becomes a partner, since he gave the partnership of the Kli, meaning the desire to bestow that is on the Kli of the will to receive, called “receiving in order to bestow.” This means that only now that he has finished the Klican the purpose of creation, which is the work of creation, be revealed to the lower ones, since the matter of shame has been corrected because they can already receive everything in order to bestow.

However, when a person places a judge to judge his situation, to see whether he prefers the love of the Creator to self-love, and the judge should determine the truth of the matter, this should not be his main work. On the contrary, his main work should be to exert in the “right,” meaning to engage in Torah and Mitzvot and receive from this wholeness and joy because he was rewarded with engaging in Torah and Mitzvot. It does not matter how much love he has at that time for Torah and Mitzvot. Rather, the very observance of the Mitzvot without any conditions, he believes that this is a great thing when a person attributes the work to the Creator, regardless of the form of his work, for the Creator accepts everything.

This work is called “right” and “wholeness,” and from this a person receives vitality, to have the strength to later walk on the “left,” as well, meaning to place a judge who will pass a truthful judgment about the real nature of his work. However, this should be only part of the time that he gives to serving the Creator. The majority of the time of work should be on the right. This is regarded as two legs, since it is impossible to walk on one leg and advance in the work.

By this we should interpret what is written, “‘Peace, peace, to the far and to the near,’ said the Lord, ‘and I will heal him.’” We should interpret “far” and “near” in the work. “Far” means left line. That is, when a person places a judge to judge how he behaves in the work, he sees how far he is from the Creator. “To the near” means when a person returns to working on the right line, which is when he sees only wholeness. That is, he values the work and considers even a small grip on Torah and Mitzvot as a fortune, since he does not even deserve the little bit of nearness. Hence, in a state of “right,” a person is considered “close to the Creator.”

But those two lines are disputed with each other, since they contradict one another. At that time comes the middle line and decides and makes peace between them. This is regarded as the Creator making peace between them, as it is known that the Creator is called the “middle line.”

It is known that the order of the work is that we begin to work on one line, which is the work of the general public, who regard only the action. There, everyone is more or less content with the work. We should know that on one line, the Surrounding Light shines in general, which is light that shines from afar. That is, a person is still far from equivalence of form, yet receives illumination from this light. At that time, there is no issue of “two writings that deny one another” in him, for he has only one way.

But when a person shifts to the left line, when he wants to repent, this can be only when he places a judge to examine his situation. If the judge is truthful, he sees that he is not all right, meaning that everything he does is for his own benefit. Then he has room to pray that he wants to repent, meaning to return to the Creator, to be adhered to the Creator and not to be separated. Then his one line becomes the right line.

According to the above, we should interpret what our sages said (Midrash Rabbah 19), when Reuben started with repentance, as it is written, “The child is gone, and I, where do I go?” We should interpret that this indicates that the order of repentance is when a person says, “The child is gone.”

It is known that there are two forces within man: 1) an old and foolish king, 2) a poor child, as it is written (Ecclesiastes 4), “A poor and wise child is better than an old and foolish king.” This means that when a person begins to repent, he should know on what to repent. This is implied by what Reuben said, “The child is gone, and I, where do I go?” That is, the child, who is called “good inclination,” is gone, and all that one sees is that the body is completely controlled by the old and foolish king, which is the “evil inclination,” and it is known that the good inclination is called “desire to bestow,” and the evil inclination is called “will to receive.”

It follows that before a person sees that the will to receive controls him and that this control harms him, causing him to be far from the Creator, he still has nothing on which to repent. Only when he sees that “the child is gone” does he acquire a place of lack on which to repent, meaning to return to the Creator, which is called “Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator.” That is, where he was previously far from the Creator, now he has become near to the Creator, and this is called “repentance.”

This is also called “left line,” following the rule, “Anything that requires correction is called ‘left.’” Since a person must also be in wholeness called “right,” it creates “two writings that deny one another, so the third writing will come and decide between them.” In other words, at that time the Creator gives him the desire to bestow, and then he obtains true wholeness. That is, then he is rewarded with the Torah, called “The Torah, and Israel, and the Creator are one.”

However, he should not forget that although the work should mainly be on the right, called “wholeness,” that a person takes fuel from the right, still, progress in the work, meaning achieving the completeness of the goal of receiving the delight and pleasure, depends specifically on the left, since there he sees his lack and has room to correct that lack through prayer that the Creator will satisfy his lack. A person advances only by the help of the Creator, as The Zohar writes, that the help that comes from above is called “a holy soul.” This is how he advances until he is rewarded with achieving the purpose of creation, which is the delight and pleasure.

Now we can interpret what is written (Psalms 78), “He chose David His servant and took him from the sheepfolds, from the care of the sheep with suckling lambs He brought him up to shepherd Jacob His people, and Israel His inheritance.” We should interpret why He chose David His servant; what merits did he have over others? He says about this, “and took him from the sheepfolds.” We should interpret “sheepfolds” as food. That is, what was his food? He says, sheep. Sheep, explained Baal HaSulam, means “exits.”

That is, when a person feels that he has emerged from the work of the Creator, that he is in descent, he should not be alarmed by this. On the contrary, this gives him room to pray to the Creator to deliver him from the control of the bad and bring him closer to Him. For this reason, each exit that he had gave him fuel and what to pray for. Conversely, when a person is always in ascent, he has no need to advance. This is the meaning of the words “and took him from the sheepfolds.”

Also, it is written, “He brought him up.” We should interpret that “up” means ascents. “Brought him up” means that after the ascents, which is descents, He brought him “to shepherd Jacob His people.” “Jacob” is considered Yod-Akev [heel], since heel is called “faith,” which is something that a person tramples with his heels. That is, it is something of inferior importance. In other words, specifically from states that are after the ascents, which are descents, specifically from the descents, he would shepherd his faith.

This means that from the descents, he took strength to expand the faith. This is the meaning of the words “Jacob His people,” meaning the Creator’s people. “And Israel His inheritance” means that after he has been rewarded through the descents into the state of Yod-Akev, which is faith, he was rewarded with the “inheritance of the land.” This is why it is written, “Israel,” for afterward, he achieved the degree Yashar-El [Israel, lit: straight to the Creator]. Then he achieved the inheritance of the land, which is the purpose of creation. This is the meaning of the words “Israel His inheritance.”

However, we must not forget that the primary attention in the work should be given to the right line. We advance from the state of the left, as well, but we cannot walk without the right, for a person must be in gladness, as it is written, “Serve the Lord with gladness,” and we can receive this only from the right line. Although this contradicts the left line, but since a person must be in high spirits, which is obtained only when a person believes in the Creator and has faith in the sages, who told us that a person should try to appreciate all his actions, even if they are still not in the manner that they should be, to the extent that a person thanks the Creator, even for small things that he can do, it connects him to the Creator.

Inapoi la pagina 1991 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Inapoi la pagina 1991 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

What Is the Reason for which Israel Were Rewarded with Inheritance of the Land, in the Work?

Article No. 44, Tav-Shin-Nun-Aleph, 1989-91

The verse says (Deuteronomy 9:5), “It is not for your righteousness or the integrity of your heart that you are going to inherit their land, but it is because of the wickedness of the nations that the Lord your God is driving them out from before you, and in order to fulfill the oath that the Lord swore to your forefathers.”

We should understand this, for it implies that the reason that the Creator gave the inheritance of the land to the people of Israel is as it is written, “because of the wickedness of the nations the Lord your God is driving them out from before you.” That is, were it not for “the wickedness of the nations,” there would not be any interest in giving the inheritance of the land. We should also understand the second reason. He says that it is because “the Lord swore to your forefathers.” Were it not for the oath, would the Creator not need to give the land to the people of Israel?

This is difficult to understand. Our sages said, “The world was created only for Israel.” This means that all the good things that exist in the world are for Israel. This implies that it is for different reasons that the people of Israel are given the good, expansive, and coveted land, a land flowing with milk and honey.

The text provides two reasons: 1) the wickedness of the nations, 2) the oath that He swore to your forefathers.

Yet, the writing tells us that we should not be mistaken that the reason He is giving us the inheritance of the land is our righteousness and the integrity of our heart. Rather, it is for the two above-mentioned reasons.

Baal HaSulam said about what is written (Genesis 15:7-14), “And He said to him, ‘to give you this land to inherit it.’ He said, ‘how will I know that I will inherit it?’ And He said to Abraham, ‘Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and they will torment them four hundred years, and afterward they will come out with great possessions.’”

He asked, what is the answer that the Creator replied to what Abraham asked, “How will I know that I will inherit it?” The Creator said, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and afterward they will come out with great possessions.” This means that the answer was to the question, “How will I know?” That is, Abraham says that he wants guarantees about the inheritance, so the Creator answers him so that by this answer he will be certain of the inheritance of the land. Thus, we should understand the answer, for it contains a guarantee of the inheritance.

He said that this means that when the Creator told him “to give you this land to inherit it,” Abraham saw the greatness and importance of this land, since the matter of the inheritance of the land refers to Malchut, which receives all the lights from above and bestows upon the souls, since Malchut is called “the assembly of Israel.”

Abraham saw according to the rule that “There is no light without a Kli,” meaning that “there is no filling without a lack,” that if the Creator were to give to Israel a little bit of illumination and awakening from above, they will settle for little and will have no need for higher degrees. As a result, Abraham saw that there was no way for the people of Israel to receive the inheritance of the land, since they have no need for it.

This was the question, “How will I know?” It is not that he did not believe what the Creator had told him. Rather, his question was that he said that he could not see them having a need for it. It is like giving something precious to a person who has no need for it. He cannot enjoy it. It follows that even if they are given the inheritance of the land, without the need, they will not be able to enjoy it. Although from the perspective of the giver, everything is fine, if the lower one has no need, what can the giver do? This is what Abraham asked.

The answer was “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers.” That is, they will be in exile in Egypt, which is called “a land that is not theirs,” meaning that the people of Israel, who want to work for the sake of the Creator, the Egyptians will control them. Each time, the people of Israel will want to come out of exile, as it is written (Exodus 2:23), “And the children of Israel sighed from the work, and their cry went up to God from the work.” Generally, the nations of the world are called “will to receive for oneself.” However, there are many desires in the will to receive, and each desire is attributed to a specific nation. This is why they are called in general, “the seventy nations of the world,” corresponding to the seventy discernments in the desire. This extends in a manner of “one opposite the other,” meaning opposite the seven Sefirot of Kedusha [holiness], which are HGT NHYM, each of which consists of ten Sefirot, which together make seventy nations.

Also, there is the discernment of “Israel,” which are named after Yashar-El [straight to the Creator]. These are opposite from the will to receive for oneself, but are rather discerned as the desire to bestow upon the Creator. In other words, he wants to bring contentment to his Maker.

Therefore, since the Egyptians controlled them, they had to do all their work for the Egyptians, and not for the Creator. This is why it says, “And the children of Israel sighed from the work.” It means that the children of Israel wanted to work for the sake of the Creator but the Egyptians controlled them; this is why they sighed. That is, they saw that not only were they not progressing, they were retreating. This is why it is written, “And their cry went up to God from the work.”

Then, when they saw that they could not emerge from exile by themselves, they asked the Creator, as it is written, “And their cry went up to God.” That is, the Creator helped them come out from the exile in Egypt. This is as The Zohar says about what was said, “He who comes to purify is aided.” It asks, “With what?” And it replies, “With a holy soul.”

It follows that specifically when they are under the governance of evil do they see—each time more so—the governance of evil. At that time, a person comes to feel two things: 1) The will to receive, which is the governance of the Egyptians, is so bad that it removes him from the Creator. That is, before he began the work in order to bestow, he did not know how much harm the will to receive causes him. This is so for the known reason that a person is not shown the power of the evil at once. Rather, he is shown bit by bit, for otherwise he will immediately escape from the work and say that this is not for him.

According to the above, we should interpret the words of Maimonides, who says that the matter of Lishma [for Her sake] is not revealed to a person at the beginning of the work, but “Until they gain knowledge and acquire much wisdom, they are shown that secret little by little.” We should understand what it means that “they are shown that secret little by little.” We should understand how there can be such a thing as “little by little.” After all, when a person is told that he must do everything Lishma, everything is revealed to him. What else is there to reveal?

We should interpret that when he says “they are shown,” who is it who shows them this secret of the matter of Lishma? We should also understand what he says, “Until they gain knowledge and acquire much wisdom.” Who knows that one has been rewarded with “Until they gain knowledge and acquire much wisdom”?

We can understand this as The Zohar says about the verse, “Or make it known to him that he has sinned.” He asks, “Who made it known to him?” and he replies, “the Creator.” We should understand why he says that the Creator makes it known to him that he has sinned. In what way did He inform him? We should interpret this in the manner that is written in the Sulam [Ladder commentary on The Zohar] (Beresheet Bet, Item 103), “If one engages in Torah and Mitzvot even for his own pleasure, through the light in it he will still feel the lowliness and the terrible corruptness in the nature of receiving for oneself. At that time he will resolve to retire from this nature of reception and completely devote himself to bestow contentment upon his Maker. Then the Creator will open his eyes to see before him a world filled with utter perfection without any deficiencies whatsoever.”

Now we can understand how the Creator informs him “that he has sinned.” We should interpret that even when a person learns Lo Lishma [not for Her sake], the light in it informs him that the will to receive is the cause of all the evil, the obstructor to man’s ability to receive these delight and pleasure that He wishes to give to the created beings. And the light in the Torah is regarded as the Creator notifying to a man that he has sinned.

We should also interpret why Maimonides says that we must begin to accustom a person to work in Lo Lishma, and not in Lishma. This is so because the matter of Lishma is revealed to a person by his receiving the light of the Torah. It follows that if he does not engage in Torah even if Lo Lishma, from where will he take the light of the Torah? This is why Maimonides says that we must begin with Lo Lishma.

By this we will understand what we asked, “Who knows if they have been rewarded with “much wisdom,” so it is permitted to reveal to them the matter of Lishma? The answer is that the light in the Torah knows how much they are inspired by the light of Torah, and to that extent it is possible to reveal to them the matter of Lishma.

By this we will understand what Maimonides says, that they are shown that secret little by little. It means that the matter of for the sake of the Creator means not for one’s own sake. A person must feel what is not for one’s own sake, and this reveals to him the light of the Torah. Hence, each time, the light shows him the amount of bad that is in the will to receive, since through the light that a person receives from the Torah, he sees each time a little bit of the bad that there is in the will to receive. This is why he says that he is shown “little by little.”

Evil is interpreted in two manners: 1) the quality of the evil, meaning how much one loses by receiving for himself 2) how much the body objects to the work of bestowal.

Those two, a person receives from the light in the Torah little by little. This is the meaning of the words “They are shown that secret little by little.” That is, through the light that he receives from the Torah in Lo Lishma, he reveals the two above matters. In other words, the measure of the evil found in the will to receive, and the measure of resistance of the body, each time to a greater extent, when one sees that he is able to overcome. This is why it says, “little by little,” meaning that each time, the light reveals to him, which is called that it is impossible to reveal to him at once.

Now we can understand what we asked, Why does the writing say that specifically through the wickedness of the nations, they were rewarded with the inheritance of the land? The reason is as the Creator promised Abraham, that in this way, meaning if Israel suffer from the Egyptians in exile, meaning all the nations of the world, with all the bad qualities in them, want to control the people of Israel, and the people of Israel want specifically to do everything for the sake of the Creator and not for the sake of the seventy nations. At that time, they feel the lack and they will see that they are powerless to overcome them.

Then it will be as it is written, “And the children of Israel sighed from the work, and their cry went up to God from the work.” At that time, the Creator will give them the required help for this. That is, each time, they will be rewarded with a “holy soul,” and this will be the reason that the children of Israel will need to receive the inheritance of the land, since they will receive it out of necessity, to save themselves from the control of the nations of the world.

This is the meaning of the words, “but it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord your God is driving them out from before you.” In other words, specifically through the wickedness of the nations, the Creator can give them the inheritance of the land of Israel, since the sensation of bad when they reveal that this evil obstructs from achieving nearness to the Creator, for this is all that we need, since the matter of “near and far” in spirituality is the matter of equivalence of form. When there is equivalence of form between the light and the Kli [vessel], the light dresses in the Kli.

Hence, the sensation of evil, called “wickedness of the nations,” causes the need to be rid of the bad, and then a person begins to purify himself from reception for oneself, and sees that it is out of his hands. At that time, he begins to pray to the Creator to help him, as our sages said, “He who comes to purify is aided.” As said in the words of The Zohar, he is given a holy soul. In other words, each time, he receives help from above by being given a soul. It follows that the ascents and descents are the reason that cause the need and desire to receive the inheritance of the land.

This is why he says that the reason is that “the Lord swore to your forefathers.” That is, it is not that the reason is that He swore to your forefathers, and this is why He is giving them the inheritance of the land. We asked, but our sages said about what is written, “Beresheet [in the beginning], there is no Resheet [beginning] but Israel.” It follows that it was all for Israel and not because of the oath He swore to the forefathers.

Yet, we should interpret that when the people of Israel are qualified to receive the inheritance of the land, when they have a need for the inheritance of the land because, as he says, “but it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord your God is driving them out from before you,” this is the reason that the children of Israel will inherit the land.

It is known that “land” is called Malchut, and Malchut is called “the assembly of Israel,” since she assembles within her everything that there is in ZA, who is called “Israel.” This is called “the unification of the Creator and His Shechina [Divinity].” Through this unification, abundance pours out to the souls.

All this comes from the beginning of the thought of creation, as our sages said, “There is no beginning but Israel.” This means that the purpose of creation, which is His desire to do good to His creations, refers to the children of Israel. But in what way will they receive the delight and pleasure? The text tells us about this, that the main reason by which they are made fit to receive is the “wickedness of the nations,” and also “to fulfill the oath that the Lord swore to your forefathers.” The inheritance of the land is as He notified Abraham when Abraham asked “How will I know that I will inherit it?” The Creator’s answer was that the children of Israel would be in exile, meaning in the “wickedness of the nations.”

It therefore follows that a person cannot ascend the rungs of holiness unless he feels a deficiency in the state he is in. That is, the deficiencies and suffering he feels give him a need to find a way by which to satisfy his deficiencies. But if he does not feel any lack within him, although he might know that there he has deficiencies in the work, but this does not pain him, so this lack cannot be satisfied because he does not seek counsels for it, and without an awakening from below, meaning without a person asking the Creator from the bottom of the heart, the prayer cannot be answered because if he is not suffering from the absence, he cannot ask with all his heart.

This is as it is written in the Midrash, “Seeking good” (Psalms 23), “‘For the Lord your God blessed you in all the works of your hands, even if you sit idly.’ The meaning of ‘all the works of your hands’ is that if he did, he is blessed, and if not, he is not blessed.”

We therefore see that without an awakening from below, meaning if there is no work on the part of the lower one, the blessing cannot come. The question is, Why? The answer is that when a person begins to work, the work gives him the need for it. That is, there is a difference in the need for the matter. This means that we should understand to what extent a person wants to obtain what he wants, since the work and the counsels that a person invests in order to obtain what he wants expand the lack for the matter, so when he obtains it, he will be able to enjoy it.

Therefore, when speaking in the work, although there is a need within man to ascend in the work, that need still does not make within him a necessity for the matter. So naturally, when he is given something from above, and he still does not know how to appreciate what he is given, he will lose it into the Sitra Achra [other side], since he will not be wise enough to know how to appreciate something in spirituality.

This is as our sages said (Hagigah 4), “Who is a fool? He who loses what he is given.” That is, when a person does not know how to appreciate when he is given some nearing from above, it promptly leaves him and he suffers a descent, since he does not know how to keep the nearing.

Normally, if someone is permitted to enter somewhat into the King’s courtyard, he is concerned and seeks ways by which to enter the King’s house and he does not settle for being in the King’s courtyard. Therefore, when a person is brought a little closer, he is happy that he was brought closer and does not worry about finding ways to go forward. Therefore, that person is thrown out. Then, when he suffers a descent, which is called “a road accident,” meaning that he had an accident as he was going to approach the King.

That is, another car crashed into his car, meaning that the car of the corporeal world crashed into the car of the desire to bestow, and then all the vitality that he had from the desire to bestow departed from him and he was left unconscious. In other words, now he feels that he no longer has spiritual life. Rather, until he gradually recovers and begins to feel that his entire vitality, on which he now lives, is only from the will to receive for himself, at that time, he begins to seek advice once more how to reenter the work of bestowal.

It follows that in order to have a deficiency, to need to ascend the degrees of the work of bestowal, he is given from above the descent, so he would have a need to advance, since without a real need, a person cannot receive what he should obtain. Hence, if a person wants to keep himself from having a road accident, he should keep himself so he does not crash with the car of the will to receive. By this he will be certain that he will not lose what he is given, meaning the ascent he has received.

According to the above, we should interpret what is written (Deuteronomy 5:15), “Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there.” We should interpret that in the work, a person must remember that he had a descent before he came to an ascent, meaning that the Creator let him feel the bad in him. In other words, a person should believe that this feeling, that he is a slave among the Egyptians, namely that he has no permission to do anything for the sake of the Creator, but all that he does is only for the sake of the Egyptians within man, this comes from the Creator.

Afterward, he must remember that now that he is in a state of ascent and feels that he is somewhat close to Kedusha [holiness], he must remember that he should go forward. Therefore, now he must remember that as he was previously a slave, meaning that he was in a state of descent, now he also needs to find within him a lack, so he will need to go forward. Otherwise, he will have to be given a descent from above, since without a need, a person cannot advance and must stay in the state he is in. Therefore, in order not to need to be given a descent, during the ascent he must find within him a place of lack. This is the meaning of what is written, “Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there.”

It therefore follows that a person should begin the work like the general public, meaning in practice, and to aim that it will be for the sake of the Creator. This means that a person observes Torah and Mitzvot [commandments/good deeds] because the Creator gave us the Torah of life, where by observing what the Creator commanded us, we will be rewarded, as our sages said, “You can trust your landlord to reward you for your work.” By this, we will be happy in this world and happy in the next world.

The fact that we must believe that even if views and thoughts that do not let us believe come to us, we must ask the Creator to give us the power to believe. Afterward, there is a higher degree, which is “not in order to receive reward.” Rather, he is rewarded with feeling that observing Torah and Mitzvotis regarded for him as though he is serving a great King. From this, we come to inherit the land.

Inapoi la pagina 1991 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Inapoi la pagina 1991 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

What Is, “You Will See My Back, But My Face Shall Not Be Seen,” in the Work?

Article No. 43, Tav-Shin-Nun-Aleph, 1989-91

It is known that the order of the work in order to achieve the purpose of creation, which is to do good to His creations, is in two manners:

1) The manner of the “mind,” which is faith above reason, is a manner that is called “against reason.” That is, the reason of a person determines whether something is worth doing or not. According to the rule that one cannot go against reason, it follows that a person takes upon himself to serve the Creator even if the mind does not understand that it is worthwhile. And yet, a person takes upon himself faith in the sages, who determined for us how to serve the Creator.

They said that we must follow the rules of the Torah and not according to the intellect, and this is called “mind.”

2) The manner of the “heart,” meaning the will to receive, and he must work against the desire, meaning work and do things in order to obtain the desire to bestow. This is called “heart.”

Since man, by nature, is born with a will to receive for himself, when he wants to work in order to bestow, he is shown so he will know that the will to receive is bad. However, he must not see right away how much the will to receive controls him, meaning to know how bad it is and that it controls us to the point that one is unable to emerge from its control by himself.

If one were to see the power of the evil within him, and how far he is from the Creator because of this evil, he would say, “The control of the evil in me is bigger than in the rest of the people, so how can I defeat it? I am wasting my effort since it will all go to waste, for I see no way out of the control of the will to receive, and the will to receive is all the bad, meaning the only obstructor from achieving Dvekut [adhesion] and equivalence of form. Therefore, it is better for me to escape this campaign.

But since the bad is not shown at once, but bit by bit, by giving him an ascent, so he thinks he no longer has any bad, since during the ascent he feels that he is close to the Creator and no longer needs the Creator to help him anymore because he thinks that he will remain in this accent forever, for now he sees that everything is folly and all that matters is nearing the Creator, but since a person should see all the bad within him, so he can pray with all his heart, for only then does he have a complete Kli [vessel], meaning a real lack, he therefore receives a descent from above. In other words, he is shown some more of the evil that is found in the will to receive, and which he did not think about. This continues repeatedly and each time, a little more evil is revealed to him. If he does not escape the campaign, when he reaches the bottom of his evil, the Creator gives him the required help, which comes to him in order to save him from the control of the evil within him. At that time, a person is rewarded with the desire to bestow, called “second nature,” and then he receives the “opening of the eyes in the Torah.”

It therefore follows that it is not as one thinks about how the order of the work should be according to his view. Rather, the Creator has a different order. It should be said about this, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor your ways My ways” (Isaiah 55). In other words, a person understands that the order of the world is that a person learns some science or profession, and each day he advances and understands more and more until he grasps his field of expertise in full. Therefore, once he is accustomed to the work, as he received while learning, meaning that all that we should work on is the practice. In other words, one is taught to take upon himself faith, to believe in the Creator, and believe in the sages who set up for us the way by which to observe Torah and Mitzvot[commandments/good deeds], and all that one needs to remember while engaging in Torah and Mitzvot is that he is observing the Mitzvot of the Creator, who commanded us through Moses and sages that followed him, and by this we will be rewarded in this world and in the next world. This is the manner of the beginning of man’s work in Torah and Mitzvot.

This is called “work in practice,” meaning that one should remember while observing Torah and Mitzvot, that he is observing the commandment of the Creator. This is called “work of the general public.” This is also called “still of Kedusha [holiness].”

Afterward, when he is accustomed to work in practice and gladly observes it, since he was rewarded with observing the Mitzvot of the Creator, we can speak of the intention. However, before one observes the Torah and Mitzvot like the general public, meaning in practice, we cannot speak to that person about the intention. This is as Maimonides said, that the intention, which is called Lishma [for Her sake], is not revealed to any person. Rather, “Until they gain knowledge and acquire much wisdom, they are shown that secret bit by bit.”

This means that Israel in general, which are called “still of Kedusha,” faith shines for them as “Surrounding Light,” and from this, a person can observe Torah and Mitzvot in practice. However, those who are still not observing Torah and Mitzvot even in the manner of the general public, it is certainly impossible to speak with them about the intention.

Conversely, those who are fine in terms of the general public, yet feel an inner drive that there is also the matter of intention, since they heard that there is also the matter of having to do all the deeds for the sake of the Creator, called Lishma, a desire awakens in their hearts to be among the people who engage in Torah and Mitzvot for the sake of the Creator.

There are several interpretations concerning “for the sake of the Creator.” 1) He engages in Torah and Mitzvot for the sake of the Creator, meaning he is not observing Torah and Mitzvot for respect or for money, but only because the Creator commanded us through Moses, that we must observe His Mitzvot. This is why we observe and not for respect or for money. It follows that this is called “for the sake of the Creator,” meaning because the Creator commanded us to observe the Torah and Mitzvot.

However, in return for this, a person wants the Creator to reward him, as our sages said, “You can trust your landlord to reward you for your work” (Avot, Chapter 2:21).

There is a second meaning to the matter of “for the sake of the Creator.” Self-benefit is not the reason that obligates him to observe Torah and Mitzvot, but the importance and greatness of the Creator obligates him to engage in Torah and Mitzvot. In other words, the reason he wants to engage in Torah and Mitzvot is to serve the King and observe His commandments.

It follows that the reward is not the reason, as we explained about the first manner of “for the sake of the Creator,” where the reason why he observes Torah and Mitzvot is his desire that the Creator will reward him, since he does not observe Torah and Mitzvot for people, but he works in concealment so that no one knows of his work in Torah and Mitzvot but the Creator, so he wants the Creator to reward him. It follows that self-benefit is the reason.

But when he wants to work only because of the greatness of the King, this is called “for the sake of the Creator,” meaning that the intention of the reward is that he is serving the Creator. This is as it is written in the Sulam [Ladder commentary on The Zohar] (“Introduction of The Book of Zohar,” Item 191), “that he should fear the Creator (which is why he observes Torah and Mitzvot) because He is great and rules over everything.”

It therefore follows that precisely when one works not in order to receive reward, but his intention is for the sake of the Creator, namely that the greatness of the Creator obligates him to observe Torah and Mitzvot, this is called Lishma. That is, it is not the reward but the greatness of the Creator that is the reason why he observes Torah and Mitzvot. Therefore, we should ask, What does it mean that they said, “You can trust your landlord to reward you for your work” if the person is not working for a reward?

We should interpret that those who work not in order to receive reward, it means that they want to work in order to bestow. However, the body objects to this and they cannot overcome the will to receive for themselves. Yet, they desire this and pray to the Creator to help them be able to work without any reward. At that time, the Creator hears their prayer and gives them a second nature, called “desire to bestow,” and this is their reward, that they are rewarded with working only for the sake of the Creator.

However, we should know that precisely when one begins to work in order to bestow, when he wants to achieve this degree, since it is against nature and one cannot come to this by himself, but the Creator must give him the desire to bestow, since there is a rule that there is no filling without a lack, for it is impossible to fill something where there is no receptacle, called “lack,” and since the lack over inability to perform acts of bestowal is also not in one’s hands to feel, but this feeling, that a person must work in order to bestow, a person asks, “For what purpose do I want to perform acts of bestowal?” So one must first feel that without the desire to bestow he is deficient, meaning separated from the Creator due to disparity of form. Yet, this, too, one cannot feel, but rather this, too, meaning the feeling of the evil that exists in the will to receive for oneself, that by this he becomes separated from the Creator, this, too, he cannot understand, since he asks, “What will you get out of doing everything in order to bestow?” With these questions, he loses the desire and the need to do everything in order to bestow.

Thus, precisely through the light in the Torah, which shines for a person even when he learns Lo Lishma [not for Her sake], this light gives a person the ability to feel the lack and the need to obtain the desire to bestow. However, one is not shown all the bad that is in the will to receive, but is shown a little bit each time. After each descent, when he sees that he is separated and has no desire to work, he is given an ascent. And after each ascent he gets another descent until all the bad is revealed to him. Then, once he has a complete lack, he receives from above the desire to bestow. But in the middle of the work, when a person suffers a descent, he wants to escape from the campaign. This state is called Achoraim [posterior/back], meaning that the faith he draws in the work does not illuminate for him, and he understands that the Creator should behave with him as he understands, yet the Creator does what He wants, and not what the person wants—who thinks that the order in the work should be similar to every profession that a person learns, and that each day he advances. Here, however, a person sees that each day he is regressing, meaning each day, he sees that he is in a state of Achoraim. But in truth, the Creator behaves with him as He thinks, and not as the person thinks.

Accordingly, we see that the order of the work is opposite from man’s view, for man understands that by having an ascent in degree each time, he will achieve the completion of the goal, but the Creator thinks to the contrary—since if a person were to remain in a state of ascent, he would think of himself as complete. That is, he would not see any deficiency in his work, and then he would remain in a state of still. He would not feel that the bad in him due to the will to receive is bad, since he would not see that it obstructs him from engaging in Torah and Mitzvot, and he would not know what is Achoraim, meaning what it means that the Torah and Mitzvot do not shine. Rather, he would always be happy that he is serving the Creator and observing His commandments. There is a rule that from above, no redundancies are given, meaning that when one does not feel that he is missing the essence, it is forbidden to give him extras.

There is a rule that when a person is deficient on life’s necessities, meaning when he is deficient of the breath of life, called “Dvekut with the Creator,” called “whole faith,” it cannot be said that he should be given extras, namely things that a person does not feel he needs, and without which he cannot live. In spirituality, this is called “extras.” That is, precisely when a person asks the Creator to give him something that he needs so much, to the point that without it, his life is worthless, this is called “necessity,” and this is called “a real desire,” meaning a lack that is worthy of being satisfied. But if his desire is not as great, it is regarded as “redundancies.”

Therefore, when one is satisfied with Torah and Mitzvot in practice, it cannot be said that he should be given a greater degree, since he is not so needy of salvation. It follows that one cannot ascend the rungs of holiness unless he feels that he is in utter lowliness. This is called “a state of Achoraim.” Thus, when he is in a state of Achoraim, he can receive a Kli [vessel], called “desire to receive help from above.” And the help that comes from above is called “a soul,” as it is written in The Zohar, “He who comes to purify is aided.” He asks, “With what?” and the answer is “with a holy soul.”

Each time he asks for help, he receives a greater degree until he is rewarded with attaining the NRNHY in his soul.

By this we should interpret what we asked, What is, “And you will see My back, but My face shall not be seen”? We should interpret “And you shall see.” It means that if a person wants to be rewarded with “seeing,” meaning with opening the eyes in the Torah, namely the Torah that is the names of the Creator, a person cannot be rewarded with this during an ascent, when he sees that the Torah and Mitzvot shine for him and give him satisfaction, and he wants to have a higher degree each time, as is done in corporeal matters, where each time a person sees that he is adding in obtaining what he wants, both when he learns some profession or some science. It follows that the person is always in ascent, called Panim [face/anterior].

In spirituality, it is to the contrary. Specifically from the state of Achoraim, from states that do not illuminate, meaning specifically from descents, when more bad appears in him each time, meaning the measure of the bad in the will to receive, how it obstructs one from achieving the goal for which he was created. This is so because a person cannot receive help from the Creator unless in a state where he feels the real deficiency. It follows that a person cannot say that the Creator is not looking at him when he sees that he is regressing. Rather, this Achoraim that a person feels comes from above. That is, the Creator has given him help by his seeing the bad that is in the will to receive.

It follows that the person is advancing, but not according to the person’s view, but according to the Creator’s view, as it is written, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts.” This means that the Creator first helps him by making him feel each time more of the measure of evil that is in the will to receive, for as said above, it is impossible to reveal to him all the bad at once, but each time, a small amount is revealed in him, since if a person sees all the bad at once, he will escape the campaign. Therefore, it is revealed to him little by little until he sees its real measure. At that time he has a real need for His help, and then he is rewarded with extending the NRNHY in his soul.

This is the meaning of what is written, “And you will see My back.” Precisely through the states of Achoraim can one be rewarded with the goal.

By this we can interpret what is written (Deuteronomy 7:7), “The Lord did not set His love upon you, nor choose you because you were more in number than any people, for you were the least of all peoples.”

We should ask, What does this come to teach us? Does anyone think that the people of Israel are more numerous than all the nations, so the verse comes to tell us so we will not be mistaken that the Creator chose us because the people of Israel are more numerous than all the nations? Rather, we should interpret that when we speak of the work, whether we speak of Israel, or whether we speak of the nations of the world, we are speaking within the same person, as it is written in The Zohar, “Every person is a small world in and of itself.”

Therefore, we should interpret that sometimes, a person is in a state where the quality of Israel within him is greater than the quality of the nations of the world in him. In other words, he is in a state of ascent. This is so when he feels that he is complete in Torah and Mitzvot. Therefore, by this one can be rewarded with the love of the Creator, since it makes sense that when one feels that he is walking in the right path, according to one’s view, when he is working in the manner of the general public, and because of this the Creator should love him, to this comes the answer, “The Lord did not set His love upon you, nor choose you because you were more in number than any people.”

The question is, Why does the Creator not favor a person when he feels that he is serving the Creator in completeness? The answer is as said above, that the person does not need the Creator’s help in order to be rewarded with the Creator’s love, since he feels that he is complete in terms of the practice, that he is a “still of Kedusha.”

But the verse says, I favor you “for you were the least of all peoples.” In other words, specifically from the state where you feel that you are the least of all the peoples, that all the desires of the nations of the world govern you, and the Israel in you does not merit a name, and you see the bad within you to its true extent, then you pray that I will help you. And since now you have a real need, since you feel how far you are from doing anything in order to bestow, then comes the right time to help you, since then you are asking for necessity and not for extras.

In a state of ascent, a person does not need the Creator to help him, except for extras, as it is written, “The Lord did not set His love upon you, nor choose you because you were more in number than any people,” for then you do not need Me for necessities, since your state is “more in number than any people,” and you feel that you are governing the evil in you in the quality of the general public, which is the practice. So why did the Creator want you? It is precisely from the states where you are “the least of all peoples,” when the nations of the world govern the quality of Israel in you, and you cry out to Me, “Help!” with all your hearts.

Then I love you, and only then can I keep all that I promised the forefathers concerning the inheritance of the land, for now you have the Kelim [vessels] to receive My blessing, meaning vessels of bestowal, for when one has vessels of bestowal, he can receive the blessing from above.

It follows from all the above, that a person does not need to be impressed when during the descent, the bad comes to him to argue with him, and makes him think, “You see that you are not advancing in the work, so I advise you to run from this path, which is work of bestowal, and go work in the manner that the general public work, meaning only in practice.” This is the time of choice—to overcome and say, “Now I see the truth, how far I am from the Creator and only He can help,” and to believe what is written, “For You hear the prayer of every mouth,” meaning even though he is not worthy of being helped, the Creator still helps. Therefore, he says, “I will certainly get help from above, since I feel that the help that the Creator will give me now is truly “reviving the dead.” But if a person is not rewarded, he escapes from the campaign and says that this work belongs to those who are gifted, but he is unfit for it. Yet, our sages said about this, “The ways of the Lord are straight; the righteous walk in it, and the wicked fail in it.” Therefore, do not run away!

Inapoi la pagina 1991 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Inapoi la pagina 1991 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

What Is, “An Ox Knows Its Owner, etc., Israel Does Not Know,” in the Work?

Article No. 42, Tav-Shin-Nun-Aleph, 1989-91

It is written, “An ox knows its owner, and a donkey its master’s manger; Israel does not know, My people do not understand.” We should understand what is the question, for he says that the ox knows, and the donkey knows its master’s manger, but Israel do not. That is, man certainly has more brains than a beast, so he asks, Why does Israel not know and “My people does not understand” who is the Provider and Giver of nourishments to the created beings?

We could say that “The ox knows its owner” is not like Israel. The ox and the donkey see who feeds them, unlike Israel, and the people of Israel do not see who is their Provider, and they must only believe that the Creator gives them all they need.

In other words, the people of Israel must believe that the Creator nourishes and provides for the world. So what is the question, Why do the ox and the donkey know who provides for them and Israel do not know? If Israel could see the Creator giving them food, like the ox and the donkey, they would be like the ox and the donkey, with the same knowledge as those of the ox and the donkey. But we must believe what is written, “You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing,” for this can be only by faith and not by knowledge like the ox.

Therefore, we should understand what is the question, “Why does Israel not know?” First, we must understand why He gave faith to man. That is, anyone who has some brains understands that if the Creator wants people to observe the Torah and Mitzvot [commandments/good deeds], if man could see His Providence openly, and would not have to believe that the Creator leads the world with a guidance of good and doing good, but rather each one would see His Providence, then the whole world would be servants of the Creator and would observe the Torah and Mitzvot with love.

Open Providence is as it is written (“Introduction to The Study of the Ten Sefirot,” Item 43), “If, for example, the Creator were to establish open Providence with His creations in that, for instance, anyone who eats a forbidden thing would immediately choke, and anyone who performed a commandment would discover wonderful pleasures in it, similar to the finest delights in this corporeal world. Then, what fool would even think of tasting a forbidden thing, knowing that he would immediately lose his life because of it? Also, what fool would leave any commandment without performing it as quickly as possible?”

So why did the Creator not do this, but did everything in a manner that we must believe, and not by way of knowing? Baal HaSulam said that we must believe that the Creator is almighty. So why did He choose that we would go specifically by the way of faith and not by the way of knowledge? It must be that the Creator understood that the way of faith is better in order to ultimately achieve the purpose of creation, and this is why He gave us the way of faith.

Concerning faith, there are many interpretations. That is, each one has his own meaning. But in truth, any meaning of faith that a person chooses is called “faith.” This is as is presented in the “Introduction to The Study of the Ten Sefirot” (Item 14), “‘He whose Torah is his trade,’ we should interpret that the measure of his faith is apparent in his practice of Torah because the letters of the word Umanuto [his trade] are the same [in Hebrew] as the letters of the word Emunato [his faith]. It is like a person who trusts his friend and lends him money. He may trust him with a pound, and if he asks for two pounds he will refuse to lend him. He might also trust him with one hundred pounds, but not more. Also, he might trust him with all his properties without a hint of fear. This last faith is considered ‘whole faith,’ and the previous forms are considered ‘incomplete faith,’ but rather as ‘partial faith.’Similarly, one allots oneself only one hour a day to practice Torah and work out of the measure of his faith in the Creator, and the third does not neglect even a single moment of his free time without engaging in Torah and work.”

According to the above, we see that every Jew has the quality of faith. Yet, why did the Creator choose specifically the way of faith? It is because as said above, the way of faith is the most successful for a person to thereby achieve the purpose of creation, meaning to receive the delight and pleasure that He had in the thought of creation, which is “His desire to do good to His creations.”

However, we should understand what are the ways that one can follow in order to achieve the completion of the goal. The answer is that man must perform the correction of creation. This means that the vessels of reception that the Creator created in the creatures, this desire is in oppositeness of form from the Creator, whose desire is to bestow. Hence, man should correct himself by obtaining the desire to bestow. This is called the “correction of creation,” and this is all of man’s work, to achieve Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator, which is the meaning of “equivalence of form.”

Hence, if it were revealed that the guidance by which the Creator leads the world is in a manner of good and doing good, it would be utterly impossible for man to choose, meaning to observe Torah and Mitzvot in order to bestow. Rather, another reason would compel him to observe Torah and Mitzvot, which is the punishment, meaning out of self-benefit and not because of the commandment of the Creator, as said in the “Introduction to The Study of the Ten Sefirot.”

Hence, His guidance is concealed and man must believe, and then there is room for choice. In other words, there is room to say that he works in order to bestow. That is, a person engages in Torah and Mitzvot although he still does not feel any taste in Torah and Mitzvot, meaning the taste of Torah and the taste of Mitzvot cannot be said to be the reason that obligates him to observe them, since he still does not feel any flavor.

But with corporal pleasures, where the pleasure is known and not believed in, the pleasure that a person sees in something compels him to receive the pleasure. For this reason, if the pleasure in Torah and Mitzvot were revealed—that there is the real pleasure, as the ARI said, that corporeal pleasures have no more than the holy sparks that fell into the Klipot [shells/peels], which is only a “thin light”—if the pleasure in Torah and Mitzvot were revealed, the creatures would certainly be compelled to observe Torah and Mitzvot out of self-benefit.

This is not so when one observes Torah and Mitzvot not because he feels any flavor in it. Rather, sometimes he performs the acts of Torah and Mitzvot by coercion, even though the body objects to this. Yet, we should ask, Why does one force oneself and overcomes the will to receive, which wants rest? The person says that this is the whole difference between man and beast. A beast has no brains; only the pleasure determines what to do or not to do.

But man, who was born with reason, no longer looks at the pleasure as the basis, meaning that this is his guide and where there is more pleasure, this is where he should go. Rather, a person always thinks that he must walk on the path of truth, meaning that the measurement of the work is the truth. He walks on this path and does not look at the sensation of pleasure, that this is his guide. Instead, a person always thinks about the truth, whether what he is about to do now will truly yield a good thing for him.

For this reason, when one takes upon oneself the kingdom of heaven, called “faith,” when one wants to engage in Torah and Mitzvot for the sake of the Creator, and he wants to bring contentment to his Maker, a person does not regard the thing he is doing, but he regards the truth. In other words, since the Creator gave us Torah and Mitzvot, we want to do His will so as to delight Him, by observing His Mitzvot.

Therefore, when, for example, a person wears a Tzitzit [a mandatory Jewish fringed undergarment], he does not look at whether the body will enjoy his wearing the Tzitzit, especially when he is careful to wear a very fine Tzitzit, as our sages said (Shabbat 133), “This is my God, and I will praise Him. Adorn yourself before Him with Mitzvot. Make for Him a handsome Sukkah [Tabernacles Feast booth], and a handsome Lulav [Tabernacles Feast palm branch], and a handsome Shofar [ram’s horn to blow in], a handsome Tzitzit, a handsome book of Torah.”

However, a person always looks at how he can please the Creator. That is, he understands with this mind that the fact that the Creator gave us the commandment to love the Creator is not because the Creator needs our love. Rather, everything that the Creator has commanded us to do and to observe His commandments is only for our sake. In other words, by this, a person will achieve the purpose of creation, which is to do good to His creations.

But a person knows that he has a nature called “will to receive” for his own sake and not for the sake of others. This makes it difficult for him to say, although he understands that man is not like a beast, that we can say that specifically where one feels that he will receive pleasure, there he can exert to obtain the pleasure. However, if one is told that he should love the Creator, a person can understand this only when he sees the greatness and importance of the Creator, then we can speak of love.

But when a person does not see the importance of the Creator and must believe, here begins man’s work, meaning work that pertains to the quality of man and not to the quality of beast, for the matter of faith belongs to man’s work, and not to the work of a beast.

However, the measure of faith should be the same as the measure of knowledge that the beast has. Otherwise, this is still not regarded as “faith,” if there is a difference for him between faith and knowledge.

In other words, man should be like a beast: As the beast knows only what it sees, so man should go with faith, as a beast does with knowing. Otherwise, what is the difference between man and beast? Thus, faith should be as knowledge.

According to the above, we should interpret what we asked about what is written, “An ox knows its owner, and a donkey its master’s manger; Israel does not know, My people do not understand.” How does he compare Israel to an ox and a donkey? After all, the ox and the donkey see who feeds them, whereas Israel do not see and must believe, so where is the similarity?

The answer is that the main difference between man and beast is that a beast has no knowledge. Therefore, among the beasts, the sensation of pleasure is all that determines whether or not to perform an action. But for man, who has brains and knowledge, he should not consider the pleasure in the matter but rather the truth in the matter.

Therefore, when we are given faith, as it is written, “and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses,” when He gave us this work, Israel should be in a state of knowing, meaning faith, which Israel must take upon themselves as knowing is for beasts.

There is a question regarding this: Why must faith in Israel be the same as knowing is for beasts, as this is their basis? And also, why does Israel “not understand,” meaning that their faith is not like knowledge?

It is written, “My people does not understand.” “My people” means “ordinary people,” whereas “Israel” is already a higher degree, as it is known that Israel has the letters of Li-Rosh [lit. I have a head]. This is why he says, “Israel does not understand.” Why? Because “My people does not understand.” When they were “My people,” to understand the measure of faith that they must obtain, they thought that partial faith was enough for faith. Hence, they settled for little and thought of themselves as “Israel,” although they were still not rewarded with “complete faith,” so that it is similar to knowing in beasts.

It follows that the order of the work should be that a person should achieve faith that is as knowing. In other words, a person begins to understand that we must do everything in order to bestow contentment upon one’s Maker. Therefore, when one walks on this path, when he sees that the body does not enjoy the thing he wants to do, he should say to his body, “I am not going to do something that you will enjoy; I am going to do something that the Creator will enjoy. Therefore, what you are asking of me, to avoid doing this until you agree, you do not count as far as the thing I am doing for the sake of the Creator.”

But the body asks, “What will you get out of working for the sake of the Creator?” meaning “What pleasure will you derive from this?” After all, one does not do anything without reward, so “What is the reward that you hope to receive in return for this?”

The answer should be that we were given the Mitzva [sing. of Mitzvot] of faith, as it is written, “And they believed in the Lord and in His servant Moses,” “so I believe that I am serving a great King, although I still have no feeling of the greatness of the Creator. Yet, I believe in His greatness and I enjoy serving a great King, and this is my pleasure. Therefore, all your questions can be only about faith—why I believe. But when I believe in complete faith, my faith is like knowing.”

We see that when we know of a person who is superior, such as a king or a high ranking minister, or someone who is famous, a great person, it is inherent in nature that we surrender before that great person. This has nothing to do with religion; it is a law of nature that it is a privilege for the small to serve the great. But in work, where greatness and smallness are not revealed and we must believe, there is work there because by nature, a person cannot do anything unless he sees and understands with his mind.

Hence, when one takes upon himself faith like knowing, he no longer needs to argue with the body, since he tells the body, “I see that you are telling me anything because you are saying only one thing, that you cannot accept the faith that I have taken upon myself. Therefore, with such an argument about faith, I have nothing to argue with you about. Therefore, I am telling you what I am doing now, and you disagree. Yet, I am not waiting for your consent, since to me, faith is like knowledge.”

It therefore follows that all of man’s work is to obtain the power of faith, since man is unable to defeat the evil in him by arguing, since in the external mind, the body is always right. Only if a person answers to the body with faith above reason can he defeat the body.

Therefore, one should prepare before he does something in Kedusha [holiness], that thanks to the act of Kedusha that he is going to do now, he will receive faith in return for the work. He should believe that he does not need anything other than faith in the Creator, and he can obtain faith when the Creator gives it to him by his doing things above reason, meaning by coercion. That is, many times, he should force himself and aim that thanks to the coercion he will be rewarded with faith in the greatness and importance of the Creator.

However, one should know that when he works in order to bestow, he has ascents and descents. This is so because through the ascents and descents, a person receives the ability and possibility to tell good from bad, for it is known that one cannot understand anything sufficiently if he does not have the opposite of what he has.

It is written about this, “as the advantage of the light from within the darkness,” meaning that we cannot recognize the importance of the light unless from within the darkness. He suffered and was tormented by the darkness, so when the light came, he knew how to appreciate it. Likewise, a person cannot appreciate the importance of the state of ascent unless he has descents opposite it. Only then can he appreciate the importance of the light, meaning the ascent.

Otherwise, it is like giving gems and jewels to an infant, and the infant does not know how to value them, and people come and take from him the good things, since the baby does not know why he needs to keep the jewels. Naturally, anyone who wants, takes from the children the good things.

Likewise, a person who does not know the value of Kedusha [holiness], if he is given some Kedushaso as to advance in the work, the Sitra Achra [other side] comes and takes it from him, since he is unable to understand that the little bit of Kedusha he has acquired requires care so that the Sitra Achra will not pull the Kedusha out of his hand.

Hence, when he has descents, he remains with Reshimot [recollections/memories] of what he had, and then he knows how to be careful so that the Sitra Achra will not pull it out of his hand. For this reason, a person believes that the Creator does everything, and there is no doubt that the Creator does everything for man’s sake, so the descents that he receives, he says that the Creator sent him these states for his own benefit.

This gives a person strength not to escape the campaign although he does not see that the Creator watches over him, meaning feels that the Creator helps him. Rather, not only is he not advancing in the work, but he has even regressed. Yet, if he believes that the Creator helps him by sending him the descents, then he no longer escapes the campaign.

Instead, he says that the Creator does help him, but not in a way that the person understands, meaning in ascents. Rather, the Creator helps him through descents. This is why this faith makes him stronger so he does not escape the campaign. Instead, he waits for the help of the Creator and prays that he will have the strength to continue the work until the Creator opens his eyes and he will be rewarded with Dvekut with the Creator.

According to the above, we should interpret what our sages said (Berachot 54), “One must bless on the bad as he blesses on the good.” This means that if one believes that the Creator leads the world in a manner of good and doing good, why does he feel that there is bad in him? It is as though the Creator is giving him evil. Therefore, our sages said that one should believe that this bad must be for the better.

In the work, we should interpret that we see that when one begins to work in a manner where “all his actions are for the sake of the Creator,” meaning that everything he does is because he wants to bestow upon the Creator and not for his own sake, at that time, he comes into states of ascents and descents.

When faith shines for him, he is in a state of ascent. That is, he understands that it is worthwhile to work only for the sake of the Creator. Afterward comes a descent, where thoughts come to him—“What will I get out of working for the sake of the Creator and not for my own sake?” Sometimes, the descent he suffers is so deep that he wants to escape from the campaign.

At that time, the question is, Why is it that before he began the work of bestowal, he was always in high spirits, and now he often feels that he is far from the work altogether and does everything by force? But there is a rule, “a Mitzva induces a Mitzva,” so why did he receive a descent?

The answer is that the fact that a person feels that he is in descent, called “a state of evil,” is also for his best, for specifically by both can he be rewarded with help from the Creator. This is the meaning of “One must bless on the bad.”

Inapoi la pagina 1991 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link