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What Is “There Is No Blessing in an Empty Place” in the Work?

Article No. 15, Tav-Shin-Mem-Het, 1987-88

It is written in The Zohar (Truma, Item 525): “This table stands in the Temple to have food on it, and to extract food from it. Hence, it should not be empty even for a moment. The other table, that of the Sitra Achra [other side], is a table of emptiness, since there is no blessing above in a place of deficit and lack. This is the table before the Creator. The table on which a man blesses before the Creator should also not be empty because there is no blessing in an empty place.”

We should understand why there cannot be a blessing in an empty place, and what this means in the holy work, that a person who wants to receive a blessing from the Creator must try to have something, for only in this manner can the Creator give him a blessing.

Our sages said, “The cursed does not cling to the blessed.” For this reason, Abraham did not want to take the daughter of Eliezer, Abraham’s slave. Therefore, when a person prays to the Creator to give him what he asks of Him, and when a person prays an honest prayer, from the bottom of the heart, the person certainly feels deficient. He feels that he is more deficient than the entire world. Otherwise, if there are other people who are as deficient as he, this is no longer regarded as a prayer from the bottom of the heart, after the rule, “a shared trouble—half a comfort.”

Hence, his lack is no longer complete because it is only half a lack, since half of what he lacked is complemented by the others. For this reason, he has only half a Kli [vessel] to receive the filling, the part that the others cannot give him since they do not have it. Hence, he has no more than half a need to receive filling.

For this reason, the prayer that a person asks the Creator to grant him his wish should be from the bottom of the heart. This means that since the heart is called “desire,” if the desire does not come from the bottom of the heart, since he does not have the real need to receive the filling, his prayer is therefore not accepted.

For this reason, a person must see himself as the worst in the world, and the matter of “a shared trouble—half a comfort” will not pertain to him because he is worse than everyone, as it is known that satisfaction in life concerns specifically a time when he lacks what others have. He may be earning more than others, and even have more important things than his environment, yet, he may still be dissatisfied with it.

Women feel this more. If they lack something, even if they have much more than their friends, they feel deficient. A woman might say, “I’d rather die,” and take no comfort in having more things than her friends. If the lack touches her heart, she says she feels more miserable than the entire world.

The reason is that when a person feels a real lack, it does not comfort him that others also do not have it. The suffering of not satisfying the desire determines, and can even bring a person to commit suicide. Only this is regarded as a real deficiency.

Here, in the work, if he sees that there is someone who is similar to him with regard to the desire for spirituality, he can become satisfied by way of “a shared trouble—half a comfort.” For this reason, he might fall into despair because he accepts the situation because then he says that it is impossible to obtain this thing that he understands he lacks, for after several attempts when he began the work but failed, he promptly decides that it is difficult and not for him. And the reason why he decides promptly is that the desire for that thing has weakened in him because he received a filling for half the lack in the form of “a shared trouble—half a comfort.”

This is similar to a person who loses something and is searching for it. There is a rule concerning how much time he must dedicate to searching for the object: It depends on the value of the object. If the object is very valuable, he will dedicate a lot of time to look for it. If it is less so, he will dedicate less time.

It is likewise here in the work. If it is very important to him to work in order to bestow, he does not give up immediately, but persists and searches for ways to come to this. This is not so if he sees that there are other people who do not engage in Torah and Mitzvot [commandments] with the intention to achieve Lishma [for Her sake], but settle for observing the Torah and Mitzvot as Maimonides says, that the secret of having to work Lishma is not to be revealed to everyone, and they feel that by observing the Torah and Mitzvot as they were brought up, they are happy with it and do not search for other ways, and this is what pleases them.

This is the reason that even if they receive some awakening that they must search for the real intention in Torah and Mitzvot, that desire is not so important to them. Hence, they searched several times for the way to walk in the path of bestowal, and since they do not find it easily and have no real lack, they begin to walk in the path of Lishma, and then leave it and follow the masses.

However, we should understand the words of Maimonides when he says, “Until they gain knowledge and acquire much wisdom, they are taught that secret bit by bit.” We should understand what it means when he says that they are taught that secret. What secret are they revealed when they are told that they must work Lishma? Who does not know that we must serve the Creator as it is written, “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might”?

We say this four times a day: in the readings, Shema de Korbanot, Shema de Yotzer Ohr, Shema de Arvit, and Shema al Hamita [four times the Shema text is read during the day]. Even children say the Shema reading. Thus, everyone knows that we must work for the sake of the Creator, so what is the secret that is revealed to them, which there was no need to reveal to them before “they gain knowledge and acquire much wisdom”?

We should also understand the measure of “gain knowledge.” How do you measure their knowledge so as to know that now it is possible to reveal to them the secret of Lishma, which was not so before? And also, what does it mean, “and gain much wisdom”? We should understand what is “wisdom” and what is “much wisdom.”

We should interpret that wisdom and knowledge are what they received from the teachers in the beginning of the study, when they were taught in Lo Lishma [not for Her sake]. That is, by believing in the Creator and in the sages, they will be rewarded, and if they do not, they will be punished. It follows that they understand that by observing the Torah and Mitzvot and loving the Creator “with all your heart,” He will reward us, and the reward will be that we will receive reward for observing everything He has commanded us. In other words, in order not to feel shame upon receiving the pleasure, He has given us commandments to follow, and He pays us for the effort. In this way, they will not receive something for free, but rather a payment for the effort of working for Him. In this way, there will be no matter of shame.

Now we can understand what are “knowledge” and “wisdom.” It is what they received in the beginning of their learning, when they could not understand more than the reward accepted in Kelim[vessels] of self-love. That is, they still did not have the wisdom and knowledge to understand that it is worthwhile to do something in that which is not for one’s own benefit, since they did not see what the will to receive for oneself would gain from this. However, they did understand that it is worthwhile to observe Torah and Mitzvot because they would have wisdom. They believed that they would receive reward, which is the wisdom and knowledge that they have gained—that it is worthwhile to observe Torah and Mitzvot for self-benefit.

It therefore follows that “much wisdom” means that they can understand by receiving the knowledge to understand something new. This is called “until they gain knowledge and acquire much wisdom.” In other words, now they see that it is worthwhile to work for the Creator and not for themselves. But prior to this, they did not have the wisdom or knowledge to understand that it was possible not to work for self-benefit.

It follows that the prohibition on revealing the secret of Lishma at the beginning of the learning does not mean that it is forbidden, but that it is impossible, since they would not be able to understand this. Therefore, they must be given a reason for which it is worthwhile to work.

Hence, when “they gain knowledge and acquire much wisdom,” they can hear the secret that they were forbidden to hear before. That is, even if they had been told that the real work is the work of bestowal, it would have remained a secret to them because they would not be able to understand it whatsoever.

Rather, after they “gain knowledge, they are taught that secret bit by bit.” “Bit by bit” means that they begin to understand that it is worthwhile to work for the sake of the Creator and not for one’s own sake. For this reason, we should interpret “until they gain knowledge” as pertaining to the view of Torah, which is the opposite of the view of landlords. The view of landlords is to work so that all the profits will be in his own domain. That is, he wants to be the landlord of all the work he does, meaning do everything for his own benefit.

Its opposite is the view of Torah, as our sages said, “The Torah exists only in one who puts himself to death over it.” We interpreted that this means that he must put his self to death, meaning the will to receive for himself, and cling to Him, which our sages interpreted as “Cling onto His attributes; as He is merciful, so you are merciful.”

In other words, a person must achieve a level of annulment of the desire for self-love, and his only aim is to love the Creator. That is, everything he does should be only with the aim to bestow.

This is the meaning of what is written, “until they gain knowledge and acquire much wisdom,” when they can already hear the secret of the work of bestowal, and because they can understand that this work is real work because they want to work for the Creator and not for themselves.

Now we will explain what we asked, How do we know that they already have much wisdom, as he said, “Until they gain knowledge and acquire much wisdom”? As Baal HaSulam said, this knowledge and wisdom come to them from above, as awakening from above.

Yet, how do we know this? The answer is that since these people received an awakening from above, they cannot live in peace, but search from place to place for who will be able to guide them toward achieving the work of bestowal. By searching for a way to go forward, and having no satisfaction in their regular work, it is a sign that he has received knowledge and awakening from above. That person, when he is told that there is the matter of having to work for the sake of the Creator, will be able to understand this secret, since he already has the discernment, “until they gain knowledge.” Hence, since he has the knowledge to understand, it is no longer a secret, for a secret is as long as we do not know, contrary to when we do know.

However, Maimonides says, “And they are taught that secret bit by bit.” We should interpret that we cannot understand at once that the essence of the work is to engage in order to bestow. Rather, there are ups and downs in this understanding because this work is against nature. For this reason, once a person understands that we must work Lishma, the body overcomes him and argues that we must work for our own sake and not for the sake of the Creator. This is the meaning of “bit by bit.” That is, this awareness, that he should know once and for all, does not come at once, but one at a time.

In order to be rewarded with working in order to bestow, a person cannot achieve this by himself. Rather, this requires help from the Creator. Our sages said about this, “He who comes to purify is aided.” This means that one who wishes to purify himself from vessels of reception and work in bestowal, receives assistance from the Creator. However, one who seeks help from the Creator, his prayer should be from the bottom of the heart. That is, the lack he feels, that he cannot do something for the sake of the Creator, but only for his own sake, this is the desire of the entire heart, and he has no need whatsoever for the Creator to help him, except for this, since he feels that if he cannot work for the sake of the Creator but only for himself, he does not consider this “life.”

By such a feeling, he feels that he is the worst and lowliest man in the world. Although he sees that there are people in the world who are respected for having much Torah and many good deeds, although he does not see that they are working Lishma, yet, they feel no deficiency in themselves. Hence, he can say to the Creator that He must help him achieve Lishma because he is the worst in the world.

The reason he needs to feel that his state is worse and he suffers more than the entire world, is that otherwise he will not have a complete Kli for the Creator to fill. This is called “the bottom of the heart.” Since the Creator is complete, when He gives to a man inside his Kli, that Kli should also be complete, meaning a complete desire without any mixture with another desire.

Therefore, when a person sees that there are others who do not engage Lishma, yet do not feel that they are in such a bad state, and “a troubled shared—half a comfort,” they complement half his lack with their filling. Then, he does not need the Creator to help on only half a lack. It follows that he has only half a Kli, but the Creator gives His filling only in a complete Kli, meaning on a complete lack.

For this reason, when he sees that there are people who have less life than he does, and he sees that they can live although they do not have such a need for the work of bestowal, and in any case he is not worse than they are, for this reason, his lack is filled by the others. But if he sees that he is worse than they, in that he cannot deceive himself and say that he is doing something for the sake of the Creator, it follows that only then he is unable to receive assistance from others. Hence, he feels that he has a real lack, meaning that he is suffering more than everyone from not being able to work in order to bestow.

According to the above, we should interpret what our sages said (Avot, Chapter 1), “Be not as slaves serving the great one in order to receive reward.” We should interpret that when you come to pray to the Creator to grant your wishes, your desire should not be to receive reward, meaning half a filling, that you pray that He will satisfy only half your lack, since half of the lack has already been filled by the others, as in “A trouble shared—half a comfort,” since he does not feel that his state is the worst in the world.

But when he sees that his state is worse than the entire world, he does not receive any filling from the public. Naturally, when he prays that the Creator will grant his wish, he has a complete Kli with a lack. This is not so when he receives a reward from others, for Pras [reward] comes from the verse, “ Paras [cut in half] at dawn and Paras at twilight.”

Now we can interpret what we asked if there is no blessing on an empty place, this is because the cursed does not cling to the blessed. For this reason, he cannot receive filling for his prayer, since the blessing cannot come into a place of curse, as in the words of The Zohar.

According to what we explained, the prayer is not regarded as a real prayer unless he feels that he is the worst person in the world, and that there is no one else in the world who suffers like he does from the evil within him. It follows that he is called “cursed,” and how can he receive filling for his lack, since “the blessed does not cling to the cursed.”

The answer is that “cursed” is regarded as the opposite of Kedusha [holiness/sanctity]. Kedusha is blessing and life, and in a lack, there is nothing that can have some life in it, since the poor has nothing from which to receive vitality, as our sages said, “The poor is regarded as dead.” For this reason, they said in The Zohar that a table on which a person blesses before the Creator must also not be empty, since there is no blessing in an empty place.

However, when a person reflects on whether he is truly as he feels, that the fact that he cannot do anything for the sake of the Creator is truly a state of evil and lowliness, that there could not be worse than him. If so, the question is, What is the merit that he has, in that he was rewarded with seeing the truth, while others were not rewarded, but rather think they are complete?

Although they, too, feel that they still do not have real wholeness, they still feel that they are standing above the general public, since they have Torah and work, except they need to add a little more in quantity. But in quality, although they understand that there is more to add, it is not so bad; there are worse people. They believe that there is always more to add, but they can do without the addition to what they have.

Thus, why does that person feel that he really has nothing? Who revealed to him this secret that we must work Lishma and that he is still far from it? For this reason, he suffers and feels that he is poor, that he has nothing, and many times he thinks he would be better off dead.

He sees that he is no better than others, but what is the reason that he was rewarded with seeing the truth? He says that knowing this must have come to him from above, and not from his own powers. Hence, now he sees that the Creator is more considerate with him than with others. It follows that on this, that He has revealed to him from above the truth, which is what Maimonides says, that this secret is not revealed until they gain knowledge and acquire much wisdom, now a person sees that from above, the secret of having to work Lishma has been revealed to him.

Now he prays that the Creator will bring him closer and will give him the assistance, as our sages said, “He who comes to purify is aided.” That is, he already has something and he is no longer regarded as having an empty table, for the fact that he came to purify, meaning knowing that he feels the need for the work Lishma, is itself regarded as a blessing, meaning that a person has been rewarded with knowing the truth.

About this, about knowing this, a person should thank the Creator. This is called “a blessing.” On this there can be a blessing from above, for it is not an empty thing—that the person has been rewarded with knowing that we must walk on the path of bestowal. This means that the fact that he wants to walk on the path of bestowal, he does not feel this as luxury, as an addition to the work. Rather, he feels this as the core. That is, the essence of man’s work is that we were given Torah and Mitzvot to cleanse Israel with them. He does not see any progress in this cleansing. On the contrary, each time, he sees how far he is from the work of bestowal, and sees that now he is more immersed in self-love.

It therefore follows that now he has in his prayer a life that he has received from above, and for which he must thank the Creator. This is regarded that he already has a blessing, and the upper blessing has something on which to be. This is no longer regarded as an empty thing. It can be said about this, “Serve the Lord with gladness.”

This raises the question, How can one be glad when he should pray from the bottom of the heart? which means that he has nothing, so how can he be glad? The answer is that he believes that his praying to the Creator will bring him closer to working for the sake of the Creator, and that this is the essence of man’s work, and he received this from above. This awareness can make it possible to be in gladness that he has been rewarded with understanding the truth of what he lacks and for what to pray.

Now we see that man should receive life from the present, from what he has now. This is regarded as the table on which a person blesses before the Creator is not empty, as said in The Zohar. That is, he has something from which to receive life, as it is written, life and blessing. And what he asks is that he wants to receive and enjoy the future. That is, a person receives vitality from what he can be glad about now, and this is regarded as living from the present.

That is, when can we say that he has nourishment from the present? If he knows how to appreciate the fact that the Creator has given him the knowledge of the truth. At that time he sees that the Creator is indeed considerate with him and watches over him to see that he walks in the path of truth. If he can believe this then he has nourishment, he nourishes himself from the fact that he has life. And a person can see his measure of faith according to the gratitude he gives to the Creator for this. This means that if he cannot thank the Creator for the lack that the Creator has shown him, it is for lack of faith that the Creator watches over him with Private Providence.

You could ask, If he can be glad and believe that the Creator guides him in Private Providence, why should he pray to the Creator? Moreover, if he thanks the Creator for the lack, how can he then pray from the bottom of the heart and say that he is suffering from being far from the Creator? One contradicts the other. If he has joy in the present and receives vitality from this, what should he ask about the future, that the Creator will grant his wishes?

The answer is that we say that the fact that a person is happy stems from the fact that he has come to know the truth that on the path of bestowal, which is the essence of our work, he has not even begun. Therefore, it pains him that he is remote. And if he does not suffer from his remoteness from the Creator and he is still immersed in self-love, what kind of truth is this, that we can thank the Creator for revealing the truth to us—that we are at the bottom of the pit, the place of Klipot[shells/peels] and the Sitra Achra [other side]. By knowing this, the Creator saves him from death.

If he agrees to remain separated from the Creator and derives satisfaction from this, then he is still in a state of “secret,” for Lo Lishma is called “the potion of death,” since he wants to remain in that state. It follows that even the gratitude he gives to the Creator is not the truth, since he still does not know the secret that the wicked in their lives are called “dead” because they are separated from the Life of Lives and want to remain in Lo Lishma.

Rather, precisely to the extent that he asks about the future, that the Creator will deliver him from the governance of self-love, that now the Creator has told him the secret that the essence of the work is Lishma, and he suffers from this and wants the Creator to help him as soon as possible, then it can be said that he is happy that the Creator has revealed to him the truth. Hence, we should understand these two opposites in one subject: One is in the present, that he has achieved the recognition of evil, and from this state he must escape, and the satisfaction of the deficiency is in the future.

It follows that the blessing in the beginning is because he has come to know the truth, and from this he must derive joy in the present. This is called “serve the Lord with gladness.” Afterward, there is a blessing, meaning in the future, that he will receive the filling, that the Creator will give him the assistance, as our sages said, “He who comes to purify is aided.” This is what it means that when a person comes to pray, he should not be in a state of cursed, but be in a state of blessed.

Accordingly, we should interpret what our sages said, “One should always establish the praise of the Creator and then pray” (Berachot 32). That is, before the prayer, he should see that he is not an empty Kli, but that he has blessing from receiving from the Creator the awareness of the truth—that we must work for the sake of the Creator and not for our own sake. He thanks the Creator for letting him know for what to pray.

It is written, “establish the praise of the Creator.” Which praise should he say? The answer is that it is for the Creator revealing to him the truth he did not have, and that he will not deceive himself that he is fine, like the general public thinks. Instead, the Creator has revealed to him that he is missing an essential thing, and if he prays for it, meaning if he knows the great need to know what he really lacks, as he understands now, then he has a Kli that the Creator can fill, since now he is giving a prayer from the bottom of the heart. This is called “a complete Kli.”

A person needs to know that in fact, he does not need anything but the ability to be able to do everything for the sake of the Creator, since only then he will be able to receive the delight and pleasure, since the Creator created the world only for this purpose—to do good to His creations.

According to the above, we can interpret the words of The Zohar where it says, “The other table, that of the Sitra Achra, is a table of emptiness.” As we explained concerning the table of Kedusha, which The Zohar calls “The table on which a man blesses before the Creator should not be empty because there is no blessing in an empty place,” this is so because the cursed does not cling to the blessed. The table is a place on which we receive the blessing of the Creator. Hence, Kedusha means that he believes that the Creator has given him the knowledge what to ask.

This is a great blessing when we know the reason for the illness. This is not so with the Sitra Achra. That is, when a person asks the Creator to grant his wishes and send him a blessing, but does not believe that the Creator has given him room to pray, this is the Sitra Achra, which is unlike Kedusha.

Inapoi la pagina 1988 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Inapoi la pagina 1988 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

What Are Torah and Work in the Way of the Creator?

Article No. 12, Tav-Shin-Mem-Het, 1987-88

Our sages said (Avot, Chapter 2, 2), “Raban Gamliel, son of Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi, says, ‘It is good to learn Torah with work, for exertion in both, mitigates iniquities, and any Torah with which there is no work is ultimately canceled and induces iniquity.’” This verse is very perplexing to understand literally. Can it be that one who learns Torah without working alongside, the Torah stops being Torah? Moreover, Torah with which there is no labor induces iniquity!

The previous verse is also difficult to understand. Why is it that specifically exertion in both mitigates iniquity? After all, our sages said (Kidushin 30), “I have created the evil inclination, I have created for it the Torah as a spice.” They did not say that in order to revoke the evil inclination, the Torah also requires labor in order to revoke the evil inclination.

We should interpret this in the work. It is known that the evil and iniquity is primarily the nature in which man was created, whose origin is the dust, as it is written after the sin of the Tree of Knowledge (Genesis 3:19), “For you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

Dust is Malchut (as it is written in The Study of the Ten Sefirot, Part 16, Item 43, Ohr Pnimi); it is the will to receive for one’s own sake. On this desire was a Tzimtzum [restriction] and concealment, which means that this place became a space vacant from light. That Tzimtzum was in order not to have the bread of shame. Rather, to the extent of equivalence of form, the concealment is removed and upper light comes instead of it.

For this reason, Maimonides says that when beginning to teach women and children and uneducated people, they are accustomed to learn Lo Lishma [not for Her sake]. When they gain knowledge and acquire much wisdom, they are taught that secret, meaning Lishma [for Her sake]. This is so because Lishma contradicts our nature, as we were born with a desire to receive for ourselves. For this reason, the only way to begin with Torah and Mitzvot [commandments] is in Lo Lishma. However, through Lo Lishma we come to Lishma, as it is written, “By engaging in it, the light in it reforms them” (Midrash Rabbah, Pticha de Eicha).

It therefore follows that the whole work that we must do is to invert our will to receive so as to aim to bestow. But this work is very difficult, and it is also called “work.” That is, normally, the smaller one annuls before the greater one, and there is great pleasure in the smaller one serving the greater one. Accordingly, each one should have had a desire to serve the Creator in order to bring contentment to the Creator. Yet, this work is hard to keep, as well, and this is called “It is good to learn Torah with work.”

This is so because of the Tzimtzum and the concealment that was on the will to receive. For this reason, the light does not shine in this place, but there are rather darkness and concealment here in the vessels of reception for oneself. Hence, it is upon the person to take upon himself everything in faith above reason. Yet, this, too, is difficult because our will to receive is not used to doing things against reason. In order to be able to emerge from the control of the will to receive for himself, our sages said, “The Creator said, ‘I have created the evil inclination; I have created the Torah as a spice,’” meaning that “the light in it reforms him.”

Concerning “the light in it reforms him,” it is written in the book A Sage’s Fruit (Vol. 2, p 159): “ The majority of the words of the Torah are for study. This reconciles why the Torah speaks at length on parts that do not concern the practical part but only the study, meaning preceding the act of Creation,” etc., “and, needless to say, legends and commentaries. Yet, since they are where the light is stored, his body will be cleansed, the evil inclination subdued, and he will come to faith in the Torah and in reward and punishment. …Clearly, when one ponders and contemplates words of Torah that pertain to the revelation of the Creator to our fathers, they bring the examiner more light than when examining practical matters. Although they are more important with respect to the actions, with respect to the light, the revelation of the Creator to our fathers is more important. …Since the whole of the wisdom of Kabbalah speaks of the revelation of the Creator, naturally, there is no better teaching for its task. This is what the Kabbalists aimed for—to arrange it so it is suitable to engage in.”

It follows that we engage in the Torah in order to subdue the evil inclination, meaning to achieve Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator, so that all our actions will be only in order to bestow. That is, by ourselves, we will never be able to go against nature, since the mind and heart that we must acquire require assistance, and the assistance is through the Torah. It is as our sages said, “I have created the evil inclination; I have created the Torah as a spice. By engaging in it, the light in it reforms them.”

However, this was said—that it is beneficial to elicit the light from the Torah—if he aims while engaging in the Torah, to learn in order to receive the reward of the Torah, called “light.” At that time, the learning of Torah is good for him. But when he is distracted from the purpose of studying Torah, the Torah does not help complete the work of making the vessels of bestowal and not using the vessels of reception for one’s own sake. Otherwise, his Torah vanishes from him. That is, the force of Torah and that should have subdued the evil inclination is cancelled. This is the meaning of the words, “Any Torah with which there is no work,” meaning when he does not aim for the Torah to do the work of turning the vessels of reception to work in order to bestow, “is finally cancelled,” meaning that that force is cancelled.

However, we should understand why the Torah induces iniquity. Is it not enough that the Torah is cancelled, but it also induces iniquity? Can this be? The question is presented in the “Introduction to The Study of the Ten Sefirot” (Item 39): “We need clarification so as to understand how and through what the Torah becomes a potion of death to him. Not only is he toiling in vain … but the Torah and the work itself become to him a potion of death.”

There (in “The Study of the Ten Sefirot,” Item 101), he says, “It is written that the Creator hides Himself in the Torah. Regarding the torments and pains one experiences during the concealment of the face, one who possesses few transgressions and has done little Torah and Mitzvot is not as one who has extensively engaged in Torah and good deeds. This is because the first is quite qualified to sentence his Maker to the side of merit. …For the other, however, it is very difficult to sentence his Maker to the side of merit because in his view, he does not deserve such harsh punishments.”

Accordingly, we can understand why he says, “Any Torah with which there is no work is finally cancelled and induces iniquity.” It is so because on one hand, he sees that he engages in Torah and Mitzvot, so why does the Creator not treat him as he thinks he deserves? Therefore, there are two things here: 1) It is finally cancelled. 2) It causes iniquity.

For this reason, prior to the study, a person should examine with which purpose does he want to observe the Mitzva [commandment] of learning Torah? That is, does he engage in Torah because of the Torah itself, in order to know how to observe the rules of doing the Mitzvot, or is the learning of Torah itself his whole intention, and knowing the rules of doing the Mitzvot is a completely different matter for him? meaning he is learning Torah for two reasons.

However, even while learning Torah for the sake of learning Torah, he should still distinguish with which intention he is learning. Is it to observe the commandments of the Creator, as it is written, “And you shall reflect on Him day and night,” or is he learning in order to receive the light of Torah because he needs the light of Torah in order to cancel the evil within him, as our sages said, “I have created the evil inclination; I have created the Torah as a spice”? It turns out that he is learning in order to obtain the spice, as our sages said, “The light in it reforms him.”

Certainly, prior to learning Torah, a person should examine the reason for which he is learning Torah, for any act needs to have some purpose that causes him to do the act. It is as our sages said, “A prayer without an aim is as a body without a soul.” For this reason, before he comes to learn Torah he must prepare the intention.

This is what he says there, in the “Introduction to the Study of Ten Sefirot” (Item 17): “Hence, prior to the study, the student must pledge to strengthen himself in faith in the Creator and in His guidance in reward and punishment … In this way, he will be rewarded with benefitting from the light in it, that his faith, too, will strengthen and grow through the remedy in this light. Thus, even one who knows about himself that he has not been rewarded with faith, still has hope through the practice of Torah. For if one sets one’s heart and mind to attain faith in the Creator through it, there is no greater Mitzva than that. …Moreover, there is no other counsel but this.”

It therefore follows that a person must make a great effort before he comes to learn so that his learning will bear fruit and good results, meaning so the learning will bring him the light of Torah, by which it will be possible to reform him. Then, through the Torah, he becomes a wise disciple.

What is a “wise disciple”? Baal HaSulam said that it is a student who learns from the wise. That is, the Creator is called “wise,” and a person who learns from Him is called a “disciple of the wise.” What should one learn from the Creator? He said that a person should learn only one thing from the Creator. It is known that the Creator wishes only to bestow. Likewise, man should learn from Him to be a giver. This is called a “wise disciple.”

According to the above, we should interpret what our sages said (Nedarim 81), “Why are no wise disciples emerging from among them? Rabina says, ‘It is because they do not bless in the Torah first.’” We should understand these words in the work, meaning that it all applies to one body. Hence, we should interpret the question, “Why are no wise disciples emerging from among them?”

It is known that “father” and “son” are called “cause” and “consequence.” That is, the first state causes the second state. Accordingly, when a person learns Torah, this is called a “wise disciple.” Also, we learned that “the light in it reforms him.” What does “reforming” mean? It is as our sages said, that the Creator said, “I have created the evil inclination; I have created the Torah as a spice, which cancels the evil inclination.” When the evil is cancelled, and evil is the will to receive for himself, he becomes a wise disciple, according to the interpretation of Baal HaSulam.

For this reason, the answer to the question, “Why are no wise disciples,” which is the first state, “emerging from among them?” That is, the second state does not emerge from them, which is that he should become a disciple of the wise, to be rewarded with all his actions being only in order to bestow.

But there is a rule, “The light in it reforms him,” and we do not see that the wise disciple has the ability to elicit sons who are wise disciples. To this comes the answer that they did not bless in the Torah first.

Yet, this answer is also difficult to understand. We see that anyone who comes to study, first says the blessing of the Torah before the learning. Thus, how can they interpret that the reason they are not begetting sons who are wise disciples is that they did not bless in the Torah first?

We should interpret the words, “they did not bless in the Torah first.” Since we see that one who is going to make a substantial purchase, where through the merchandise that he will buy he will make great profits, his friends bless him with luck in this activity. That is, that he will make a lot of money.

It is likewise here in the work. When a person comes to learn Torah, there should be a purpose before his eyes, namely the reason he is going to study. Clearly, it is in order to benefit from the study of Torah, for without a benefit it is impossible to work. Hence, he must know that the purpose, meaning the benefit he needs to acquire from the Torah is “the light in it,” which “reforms him.”

In the work, where we speak of one body, he should bless himself with success in his learning and with obtaining much light from the Torah that he is now going to learn. Otherwise, if he does not bless prior to learning Torah, he does not remember the goal he must elicit from the learning, which is called “sons.” The sons are the result of the study, as was said, that the Torah is the reason, the father, and the light he elicits from the Torah is the son.

Accordingly, prior to learning, each and every one must contemplate the purpose of the study, meaning why he exerts in the Torah. Certainly, one should not exert without reward, and certainly, when a person learns Torah, he believes in “You can trust your landlord to pay for your work” (Avot, Chapter 2, 21). But to which reward is he aiming? He should pay attention to keep the reward always before him, meaning to have confidence and faith that the Creator will pay his reward.

The reward he hopes to receive should give him energy to work. That is, the reward is the fuel on which his work is based. Clearly, the greater the reward, the more energy there is to work. But if the reward is not so important, that reward cannot give him the strength to work devotedly, meaning to make him see that the Torah is so important, as it is written, “For they are our lives and the length of our days.” Certainly, if a person feels this way, that it is truly the Torah of life, each person, according to his feeling, would give his whole life to obtain life.

However, feeling the vitality in the Torah requires great preparation to prepare his body to be able to feel the life in the Torah. This is why our sages said we must begin in Lo Lishma, and through the light of Torah he obtains while still in Lo Lishma, it will bring him to Lishma, since the light in it reforms him. Then, he will be able to learn Lishma, meaning for the sake of the Torah, which is called “Torah [law] of life,” as he has already attained the life in the Torah, for the light in the Torah will have given such qualification to a person as to be able to feel the life that is in the Torah.

In the “Introduction to the Study of Ten Sefirot” (Item 38), he asks, “Why is complete engagement in Torah and Mitzvot regarded as Torah Lishma? We should understand this title, Torah Lishma, why the complete and desirable work is titled Lishma. According to the literal meaning, one who engages in Torah and Mitzvot must aim his heart to bring contentment to his maker and not for his own sake. This should have been named and defined as Torah Lishmo [for His sake] and Torah Lo Lishmo [not for His sake], meaning for the Creator. After all, the text proves that Torah Lishmo, meaning to bring contentment to one’s maker, is still not enough. Instead, we also need the engagement to be Lishma[for Her sake], meaning for the sake of the Torah, for it is known that the name of the Torah is ‘Torah [law] of life,’ as was said, ‘For they are life to those who find them’ (Proverbs 4:22). As was said, ‘It is not a vain thing for you, for it is your life’ (Deuteronomy 32:47). Therefore, the meaning of Torah Lishma is that engagement in Torah and Mitzvot brings him life and longevity, for at that time the Torah is as its name.”

According to the above, it implies that once a person has reached the degree of bestowing contentment upon his maker, as this is regarded as engaging in Torah and Mitzvot for His sake, then begins a second degree, when he engages in Torah and Mitzvot for Her sake, meaning for the sake of the Torah, as the name of the Torah is “Torah of life.”

In order for a person to achieve a degree of doing everything for the Creator, called Torah Lishmo [for His sake], it requires the light of Torah, for this light reforms him. That is, he will be able to emerge from self-love and do everything for His sake. Only this light can help him, as our sages said, “I have created the evil inclination; I have created the Torah as a spice.” That is, once he has been rewarded with the light of Torah, he can be rewarded with the Torah itself, called “Torah of life.”

Accordingly, we should interpret what our sages said, “Should one tell you, ‘There is wisdom in the gentiles,’ believe. ‘There is Torah in the gentiles, do not believe’” ( Eicha Rabbah 2, 17). When a person learns Torah, he should discern two things in it: 1) the wisdom and the intellect in it, called the “clothing of the Torah,” 2) who is wearing the clothing of the Torah.

We must believe in the words of The Zohar that the whole Torah is the names of the Creator, meaning that the Creator is clothed in the clothing of the Torah. Hence, we should discern two things in the Torah: 1) the clothing, 2) the one who wears it.

It is as it is written in the book A Sages Fruit (Vol. 1, p 118): “However, the Creator is the light of Ein Sof, clothed in the light of Torah that is found in the above 620 Mitzvot. …This is the meaning of their words, ‘The whole Torah is the names of the Creator.’ It means that the Creator is the whole, and the 620 names are parts and items.”

It follows that one who has faith in the Creator can believe that the giver of the Torah is clothed in the Torah. Conversely, a gentile, who has no faith in the Creator, how can he learn Torah, since he does not believe in the giver of the Torah? He can learn only from the clothing of the Torah, but not from the one who wears it, since he has no faith. The outer clothing is called “wisdom” and not “Torah,” since Torah is specifically when he is connected to the giver of the Torah.

By this we understand what our sages said, “Should one tell you, ‘There is wisdom in the gentiles,’ believe.” It is so because they can learn the clothing with the one who wears it, which is only called “wisdom,” without any connection to the giver of the Torah. But “Should one tell you, ‘There is Torah in the gentiles,’ do not believe,” since they have no connection to the giver of the Torah.

Since the essence of our work is to achieve Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator, as it is written, “to cling unto Him,” it follows that the Torah is the means to adhere to Him. That is, while learning Torah, we should aim to be rewarded with connecting to the one who wears it. This is done through the clothing, which is the Torah, in which the Creator is clothed.

In the above-mentioned verse, “There is wisdom in the gentiles, believe, there is Torah in the gentiles, do not believe,” when we interpret this in the work, we should know that “gentiles” and “Israelis” are in the same body. That is, before a person is rewarded with faith, he is still regarded as a “gentile.” Only after he is rewarded with faith, he is called “Israel.”

However, if a person wants to achieve complete faith, although he has still not been rewarded with complete faith, he is already regarded as Israel. It is as Baal HaSulam said about “Let wisdom be given to the wise.” He asked, Should it not have said, “Let wisdom be given to the fools”? He said that a person who seeks wisdom is already called “wise” because any person is judged by his goal, meaning by what he expects to achieve, after this a person is called. Accordingly, we should interpret that all those who want to achieve complete faith are already called “Israelis.”

For this reason, if in the beginning of his study, when a person comes to study, there is no desire to thereby achieve complete faith, which he can achieve through the light in the Torah by wanting to adhere to the one who wears it, who is clothed in the Torah and gives the light of Torah and none other, it follows that he is learning Torah, which is the clothing of the Creator. Through it, he wants to achieve complete faith, adhere to the one who wears it, who is the giver of the Torah.

Here there is unification of three discernments: 1) the Torah, which is the clothing of the Creator, 2) the Creator, who is clothed in the Torah, and 3) Israel, the person who is learning Torah with the above intention.

This is called “unification,” called “the Torah and the Creator and Israel are one.” Although The Zoharspeaks to those who have already been rewarded with “the names of the Creator,” which is called that they have been rewarded with a “hand Tefillin,” called “faith,” and a “head Tefillin,” called “Torah,” yet, those who walk on the path of achieving Torah and faith also receive a surrounding from this unification.

Now we can understand what is written, “There is wisdom in the gentiles, believe.” That is, if a person does not aim to be rewarded with faith in the Creator through the study of Torah, then he has no connection to the Torah, since Torah means the clothing and the one who wears it together, namely the Torah together with the giver of the Torah.

Although he still does not feel the giver of the Torah, still, the purpose of the study is to come to feel the giver of the Torah. If a person does not place the goal of reaching the giver of the Torah in front of him, he is regarded as a gentile, meaning one who has no need for faith. That is, he should have the need to seek advice to achieve faith. This is why he is still considered a gentile and not “Israel.” Hence, regarding wisdom, believe that he has it, meaning only the clothing without the need for the one who wears it. This is the meaning of the words, “there is Torah in the gentiles, do not believe,” since he has no connection to the Torah.

However, believing or not believing also does not refer to two bodies. Rather, believing or not believing refers to the person himself. The person himself must pay attention to whether or not he has Torah. Since a person exerts and makes efforts, the intention is certainly to be rewarded with the Torah. The person thinks that even without the aim to achieve complete faith he can be rewarded with the Torah. Our sages said about this that one should know that it is impossible to be rewarded with the Torah without complete faith.

For this reason, prior to the study, a person must pay attention and introspect with which aim he is making his effort in learning Torah. That is, what does he want to achieve by learning Torah? Certainly, when a person makes an effort, it is because he lacks something. Through his effort, he will be given what he thinks he needs and his lack will be satisfied in return for the toil. A person should believe what is written, “I labored and found.”

For this reason, sometimes a person understands that what he lacks is the knowledge of Torah. Hence, all his thoughts are toward being rewarded with the knowledge of Torah. This is the clothing of the Creator, and he feels that all he needs is the outer clothing of the Torah. This is called “wisdom.”

But Torah means that he needs the one who wears, who is clothed in the Torah. That is, he still lacks complete faith in the Creator and he feels that there is evil in his heart, and he wants to be rewarded with the mind and heart that will be all for the sake of the Creator.

Since our sages said, “The Creator said, ‘I have created the evil inclination; I have created the Torah as a spice because the light in it reforms it,’” it follows that he needs the Torah as a means, where through the Torah he will be rewarded with complete faith in the Creator. Afterward, through the Torah he will be rewarded with the Torah that is called “Torah of life,” since he will be rewarded with the one who wears together with the clothing.

That is, he will be rewarded with the clothing called “Torah,” together with the one who wears it, called “the Creator.” It is as The Zohar says, “The Torah and the Creator and Israel are one.”

This is the meaning of what is written (Midrash Rabbah, Truma, Chapter 33), “‘And let them take for Me a contribution.’ You have merchandise that he who sells it is sold with it. The Creator said to Israel, ‘I have sold to you My Torah [law]. It is as though I have been sold with it,’ as was said, ‘And let them take for Me a contribution.’”

According to the above, we should interpret the words of the Midrash where it says, “It is as though I have been sold with it.” The Torah is regarded as “The Torah and Israel and the Creator are one,” since the Torah is the clothing of the Creator, and through the Torah, man must be rewarded with the one who wears it, which is called “adhering to the Creator,” it follows that we must be rewarded with two things: the Torah and the Creator. This is the meaning of what is written, “It is as though I have been sold with it.”

For this reason, there is completeness of three things here: 1) Israel, 2) the Creator, and 3) the Torah. It is as it is written in the book A Sage’s Fruit (Vol. 1): “What can a person do in order to come to feel the need for the Torah, in which the Creator is clothed? It is our sages said, that the Creator said to Israel, ‘I have sold you My Torah. It is as though I have been sold with it.’ This is the meaning of having a merchandise that one who sells it is sold with it.”

This means that the Creator wants that when a person takes the Torah, he will seemingly take the Creator with him. Yet, a person does not feel he needs this. Primarily, a person takes after the majority. And since when beginning to teach women, children, and the general public, Maimonides says we should begin in Lo Lishma, and normally, everyone takes after the beginning, meaning that the reason they were given for why we need the Torah are reasons of Lo Lishma, and not because “I have created the evil inclination; I have created the Torah as a spice.” Naturally, the majority of the world does not even understand that there is a reward called “Dvekut with the Creator.”

For this reason, the view of the majority controls a person—that he does not need to study Torah so that by this he will be able to achieve the real intention. That is, that through the Torah he will be able to aim in order to bestow and not for his own benefit, that it will bring him Dvekut, to adhere to the Creator. For this, meaning in order to correct the creatures so they achieve Dvekut, the multiplicity of worlds, Partzufim, and souls were made.

It is all in order to correct creation, called “will to receive.” Through the reception, creation has moved away from the Creator, and by these corrections that were made, it will be possible to correct everything so it works in order to bestow. When all the vessels of reception work in order to bestow, this will be the end of correction.

This is called “the perfection of His deeds,” as the holy ARI said (The Study of the Ten Sefirot, Part 1), “When it came up in His simple will to create the worlds and emanate the emanations, to bring to light the perfection of His deeds, His names and appellations, which was the reason for the creation of the worlds, Ein Sof restricted Himself and there was room where the emanations could be.” There (The Study of the Ten Sefirot, Part 1), he interprets in Ohr Pnimi as follows: “It follows that the very reason for the Tzimtzum [restriction] was only the craving for the new form of reception in order to bestow, which is destined to be revealed by the creation of the worlds.”

Accordingly, we see that the creation of the worlds and souls was primarily with one intention—to correct everything so that it works in order to bestow, which is called Dvekut, equivalence of form. The Creator said about the Torah, “I have created the evil inclination; I have created the Torah as a spice.” That is, once man receives the Torah as a spice, the evil inclination will be corrected to work in order to bestow, as it is written in The Zohar, “The angel of death is destined to be a holy angel.”

A person cannot see all this because he takes after the majority, called “the whole of Israel.” It was said that the beginning of the education everyone receives is in Lo Lishma, meaning that the engagement in Torah and Mitzvot is in order to receive reward in Kelim [vessels] of self-benefit, and the Lishma is forbidden to reveal to a person upon the admission of a person into the observance of Torah and Mitzvot, as mentioned in the words of Maimonides.

This causes a person to understand with his intellect that he needs to learn Torah only in order to know the rules, how to observe the Mitzvot, as our sages said, “An uneducated person is not a Hassid.” Although they also learn Torah that does not pertain to practical Mitzvot, learning that part of the Torah is because of the commandment to learn Torah, as it is written, “And you shall reflect on it day and night.” That is, he learns because it is a Mitzva, just like the rest of the Mitzvot.

However, concerning what our sages said, “You have a merchandise that one who sells it is sold with it,” when the Creator said to Israel, “I have sold you My Torah, it is as though I have been sold with it.” To this, one has no connection, for what will it give him if he believes that the Creator is clothed in the Torah? Should one who takes the Torah know that the Creator is clothed in the Torah, and he should be rewarded Dvekut with the Creator, who is clothed in it?

All of his work is with the intention Lo Lishma, and all he hopes for is to observe Torah and Mitzvotwith the intention for self-benefit. Naturally, he has no connection to the one who is clothed in the Torah, but rather settles for just one thing: To the extent that he has faith in reward and punishment, to that extent depends his work in observing Torah and Mitzvot, since he looks at nothing but the reward. But the essence of the Torah and Mitzvot that he performs does not interest him.

Conversely, if a person wants to work and observe Torah and Mitzvot without any reward, only because he wants to serve the King, then he needs to know the greatness of the King, for the measure of his work depends on the extent of his faith in the greatness of the King, for only the greatness and importance of the King gives him fuel for work.

It is as it is written in The Zohar about the verse, “Her husband is known at the gates.” It means that each according to what he assumes in his heart. By this, he tells us that to the extent that a person assumes in his heart the greatness and importance of the Creator, to that extent he dedicates himself to serving the King.

For this reason, people of this kind, who want to work only in order to bestow, and the whole reason that compels them to engage in Torah and Mitzvot is the importance and greatness of the Creator, as it is written in The Zohar that “The essence of fear is to work because He is great and ruling,” when these people believe that the Creator is clothed in the Torah, and believe what the Creator said to Israel, “I sold you My Torah; it is as though I have been sold with it,” when they learn Torah they want to elicit the light of the Torah that reforms him. This is the meaning of what our sages said, “He who comes to purify,” through the Torah, “is aided,” since the Creator is clothed in the Torah.

Accordingly, we should interpret what we say (“Everlasting Love,” prior to reading the Shema), “Enlighten us in Your Torah.” It seems as though the words “Enlighten us,” should be said of a place of darkness and concealment, but in regard to the Torah, it should have said, “Let us understand Your Torah,” so what is “Enlighten”?

According to the above, we should interpret that since we should discern within the Torah, the clothing of Torah, in which the Creator is clothed, and this is concealed from us because we see only the clothing, and not the one who wears it, we therefore ask the Creator to enlighten us so we may be rewarded with seeing and feeling the Creator, who is clothed in the Torah. This is the meaning of “Enlighten us,” that we may see that You are clothed in Your Torah.

We should also understand what is said in The Zohar about the verse, “They who seek Me will find Me.” They asked about this, “Where do you find the Creator?” They said that you find Him only in the Torah. Also, they said about the verse, “Indeed, You are a God who hides,” that the Creator hides Himself in the holy Torah.

It is written in the “Introduction to The Study of the Ten Sefirot” (Item 41) concerning what our sages said, “You have merchandise that he who sells it is sold with it.” This means that the Creator is clothed in the Torah, except a person must seek and find Him since He hid Himself in the Torah as long as the learners of Torah are unworthy of it. But through the labor and prayer, they find Him.

It was said about this, “I labored and found.” The question is, What is the connection between laboring and finding in the Torah? Through the labor, we find the Creator, how He is clothed in the Torah. This means that one should not say, “I learned much Torah but I do not find the Creator, how He is clothed in the Torah.” Instead, we should seek Him and not despair, but believe what is written, “They who seek Me will find Me,” since the concealment is a correction that a person will not attain Him before he has vessels of bestowal, which is called “equivalence of form” and “ Dvekut with the Creator.”

Accordingly, we should interpret what our sages said (Nedarim 81), “Be careful with the sons of the poor, for from them Torah will emerge,” as was said, “Water will flow from his bucket,” for from them Torah will emerge. It seems to mean that Torah will emerge specifically from the sons of the poor, but from the sons of the rich it will not. Can we say this?

In the work, we should interpret that “poor” is as our sages said (Nedarim 41), “One is poor only in knowledge.” For this reason, when a person learns Torah and wants to achieve the Torah, meaning to a state of “Enlighten us in Your Torah,” meaning to adhere to the Creator, who is clothed in the Torah, for “Your Torah” refers to the Creator, who is clothed in it. Yet, he sees that as much as he has exerted and worked to find the Creator in the Torah, he cannot find Him. Although it is written, “They who seek Me will find Me,” he sees that he is poor in knowledge. Yet, he wants to keep what is written, “Know the God of your father and serve Him,” and what is written, “A soul without knowledge is not good,” but he is far from it, for each time he sees that it is utterly impossible to find Him in the Torah. This is called “poor in knowledge.”

At that time a person understands that finding the Creator in the Torah was not said for him, since he thinks that he has already looked for Him in the Torah but has found nothing, and he wants to escape the campaign.

This is why our sages came and said, “Be careful with the sons of the poor, for from them the Torah will emerge.” The reason is according to the rule, “There is no filling without a lack, no Gadlut[greatness/adulthood] without Katnut [smallness/infancy].” This means that if we want to give something to a person but the giver is afraid that if he is given immediately, as soon as the receiver asks of him, the receiver will not be able to appreciate the giving and will probably lose it, or other people might take that thing from him.

Since the giver knows the importance of the matter, he does not want the receiver to spoil it. For this reason, he does not give him what he asks immediately. Instead, he wants the receiver to ask him many times. Thus, through the demand, a need for the matter is formed in the receiver. Otherwise, he would have had to stop asking.

When he does not stop asking him, this can be only if each time he must understand the necessity of the matter. That is, if he wants to ask of him again—that the giver will give him—a person must contemplate whether he really needs that thing, for only then does he have the strength to ask again, once he has already asked but received no answer to his question.

This is so because a person cannot ask of someone who takes no interest in his requests. However, since the thing that he is asking is necessary, and his whole life depends on it, the necessity of the matter does not let him rest and he goes even above reason to ask time and time again. He has nowhere else to go because he understands that this is his life and without it, he says his life is pointless, since he has come to feel that it is not worth living for other things.

It follows that he has no choice since he has no satisfaction in his life. That is, since there is a rule that a person cannot live without provision, since the Creator created the creatures with the intention that they will enjoy, which is called “His desire to do good to His creations,” and the three things that can give a person provision—to sustain the body so it is satisfied, and which are called “envy,” “lust,” and “honor”— do not satisfy him, for this reason a person must seek spirituality. If he is a Jew, he believes that through Dvekut with the Creator and His law he can obtain provision, to provide for the body and be able to say wholeheartedly, “Blessed is He who said, ‘Let there be the world,’” since he enjoys it if he is rewarded with Dvekut with the Creator, as it is written, “And you, who cling unto the Lord your God, are alive everyone of you today,” for then he will be rewarded with real life.

This gives him the strength not to despair from asking the Creator to bring him closer and open his eyes in the Torah. It is written in the “Introduction to The Study of the Ten Sefirot” (Item 83), “The first degree of the revelation of the face comes to a person only through His salvation, when he is rewarded with opening of the eyes in the holy Torah with wonderful attainment, and he becomes like a never ending stream.”

However, this depends on the extent to which he believes that the Creator hears a prayer and can justify Providence and say what he thinks, that he did not receive what he asked for not because the Creator did not pay attention to his prayers, but he believes that the Creator stands and waits for his prayers and collects them, as in, “Penny by penny join into a great amount.”

In other words, since it is known that if you give something important to a person who does not know its value, and there are people who do know its importance, that thing will move to those people either by theft or by losing it, for the person will not know how to keep it, and there are people who know its value and they will steal or find it and not return it to the owner.

It is known that opposite Kedusha [sanctity/holiness] there is the SitraAchra [other side], who do know the value of spirituality. For this reason, there must be keeping so it does not come into their authority. This is why the Creator does not give him what he wants, but stands and waits. By prevailing each time with faith above reason to ask the Creator to help him and open his eyes in the Torah, and he believes in faith in the sages, who said that working on faith is the best way to be rewarded with the importance of the goal, which is Dvekut with the Creator. When the Creator knows that he already knows how to keep the King’s present, the Creator will certainly help him and grant his prayer, which is his request that the Creator will open his eyes and he will be rewarded with opening the eyes in the Torah, and He will certainly give him.

This is the meaning of the words, “Be careful with the sons of the poor.” That is, do not underestimate the situation where he feels that he is poor in knowledge because he has not been rewarded with opening the eyes in the Torah and he has not been rewarded with “The light in it reforms him,” since “from them, Torah will emerge.” That is, he should believe that by feeling that he is poor in knowledge, and each time he must overcome, he must believe that these descents come to him from the Creator, and by this he will receive the vessels and the need to appreciate the gift of the Creator from the outer ones, meaning that not everything will fall into the vessels of reception, which are Kelim [vessels] that belong to the Klipot [shells/peels]. By overcoming with faith that the Creator hears a prayer, and each and every prayer that he asks of the Creator, the Creator adds it to the great amount until a person knows the value of the matter.

This is the meaning of what is written in the book A Sage’s Fruit (Vol. 1, p 88): “For this reason, this Klipa [singular of Klipot] is called Pharaoh, with the letters [in Hebrew] Peh Ra [evil mouth]. In the exile in Egypt, that Peh Ra had control and they returned to their bad ways. For this reason, even though they were rewarded with some illumination from the upper nine, it could not be swallowed in the Guf [body] because the Peh Ra, which is the opposite of the Peh [mouth] of Kedusha, namely the back of the neck, stopped the abundance that came down from the Rosh [head] and sucked all the abundance that began to come down for Israel.”

It therefore follows that we should make several discernments in the Torah: 1) one who learns Torah in order to know the rules, to know how to observe the Mitzvot of the Torah, 2) one who learns Torah in order to observe the Mitzva of learning Torah, as it is written (Joshua 1), “This book of Torah shall not move from your mouth, and you shall contemplate it day and night.” RASHI interprets “contemplate it” as “looking in it,” every thought in the Torah is in the heart, as he said, “The contemplation of my heart is before You.” 3) He learns Torah in order to be rewarded with the light of the Torah, as it is written, “I have created the evil inclination; I have created the Torah as a spice because the light in it reforms him.” By this he will be rewarded with faith, and to adhere to the Creator, and then he will become “Israel” for he believes in the Creator in complete faith. 4) Once he has been rewarded with faith, he is rewarded with the “Torah, as in the names of the Creator.” In The Zohar, this is called “The Torah and Israel and the Creator are one.” At that time he is rewarded with the purpose of creation, which is to do good to His creations, when the creatures receive what the Creator wants to give to the creatures.

And concerning what RASHI interpreted about the verse, “You shall contemplate it day and night,” he says “look in it. Every thought in the Torah is in the heart.” We should understand what he means by saying that the thought is in the heart, since when we learn Torah, it is in the mind and not in the heart, so why does he tell us, “Every thought in the Torah is in the heart”?

We should interpret that this does not pertain specifically to the Torah that relates to rules he learns in order to know how to observe the Mitzvot. Instead, he wishes to say that the Torah also includes the last two discernments just mentioned: 1) that he learns in order to receive the light of Torah, 2) that he is then rewarded with the Torah, called “the names of the Creator.”

Those two belong specifically to the heart, as Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra says (in the “Introduction to the book Panim Masbirot,” Item 10), “Know that all the Mitzvot that are written in the Torah or the accepted ones, which the forefathers have established, although the majority of them are in deed or utterance, they are all in order to correct the heart. This is because the Lord wants all the hearts, and He understands the inclination of every thought. It is written, ‘To those whose hearts are straight,’ and conversely, ‘a heart filled with thoughts of transgression.’ Know that the Torah was given only to men of heart.”

We should interpret the words of RASHI, as Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra says. Accordingly, we should note about the above four discernments, that the last two pertain to the work of the individual, while the first two pertain to the general public. It is as Maimonides says, “When teaching children, women, and uneducated people, they are taught to work only out of fear and in order to receive reward. Until they gain knowledge and acquire much wisdom, they are taught that secret little by little, and are accustomed to it calmly until they attain Him and serve Him with love.”

We see from the words of Maimonides that the beginning of the work of the general public is in Lo Lishma and in order to receive reward. Therefore, they must learn Torah in order to know the rules how to observe the Mitzvot. This is the first discernment. Also, his learning of Torah is in order to know with the intellect what is written there, that he will be rewarded through the Mitzva of learning Torah. This is the second discernment. Those two do not belong to the work of the heart, as said in the words of Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra.

But the last two discernments already pertain to the heart because they pertain to Lishma. When one wants to walk on the path of Lishma, he is shown, as Maimonides says, that “What we told you before, that you should learn Lo Lishma but in order to receive reward, was because by nature, a person cannot work for the sake of the Creator, but only for his own sake. Therefore, now we are telling you that you must know that the real work is Lishma. But how do you achieve this? The advice is “From Lo Lishma we come to Lishma because the light in it reforms him.”

The question is, What is the evil we should correct so as to be good? We are told that it is our inability to do anything for the sake of the Creator. Only the light of Torah will correct the heart, for the heart is called “desire,” and by nature, it is a desire only to receive. But how can a person go against nature?

This is why the Creator said, “I have created the evil inclination; I have created the Torah as a spice.” It follows that he is not learning Torah for the intellect, to understand, but he is learning in order to understand so as to achieve Dvekut with the Creator, who is clothed in the Torah, and this pertains to the heart. Through the light he will receive, it reforms him, meaning that the will to receive for his own sake can receive strength from above that enables it to work for the sake of the Creator.

It follows that when he wants to begin the work of Lishma, which pertains to the work of the individual, he is shown that learning Lo Lishma is not the end of the road, as he first thought, in the beginning of his learning. Rather, the learning Lo Lishma should aim to bring him into learning Lishma. For this reason, once he has learned about the intention to achieve the aim to bestow by receiving the light of the Torah, he comes to the fourth discernment in the study of Torah, called “Torah of life.”

It is written ( Avot, Chapter 6), “Rabbi Meir says, ‘Anyone who engages in Torah Lishma is rewarded with many things and the secrets of Torah are revealed to him.’” This means that then he is rewarded with the “Torah, which is the names of the Creator.” This is what The Zohar calls, “The Torah, and Israel, and the Creator are one.”

Accordingly, we should make two discernments in the Torah, which pertain to the heart: 1) The light of Torah pertains to establishing faith in the heart. This is the meaning of “The light in it reforms him.” 2) Torah that pertains to the heart, as it is written (Exodus 28:2), “And you shall speak to all the wise-hearted whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom.” In the words of The Zohar, this is called, “One who does not know the ways of the upper one and the commandments of the upper one, how will he serve Him?”

It is written about it in the book A Sage’s Fruit (Vol. 1, p 119), “Hence, you’d best grip unto the goal of yearning for the commandment of the upper one, for one who does not know the ways of the upper one and the commandments of the upper one,” which are the secrets of Torah, “how will he serve Him?”

Thus, the meaning of “Torah and work” is that he learns Torah in order for the Torah to bring him the light of Torah. By this, he will be able to invert the vessels of reception to work in order to bestow, and with these Kelim he will be rewarded with Dvekut with the Creator, called “learning Torah Lishma.”

By this we can interpret what our sages said (Kidushin 40), “A good thought, the Creator adds it to an act.” When a person learns Torah in order to come to actions, meaning an act of making the vessels of bestowal, since a person cannot do this by himself due to the evil in his heart, when the Creator sees that a person has a great yearning for this act, the Creator gives him the light of Torah, which reforms him. This is the meaning of “the Creator adds it to an act.” That is, now He does the act. By giving him the light of Torah, an act results.

Accordingly, we see that in truth, from man came nothing more than a good thought. That is, he thought that vessels of bestowal were a good thing. But in truth, who did the work for man to be rewarded with these Kelim? Only the Creator—by giving him the light of Torah, which is the one who wears, who is clothed in the Torah.

This is why it is written, “A good thought that a person has, the Creator makes it so there will be an act here, too.” It is as our sages said, “He who comes to purify is aided.” It turns out that on the part of man, there is nothing more than coming to purify, which is called a “good thought.” Afterward, the Creator gives him the assistance, adding it to an act.

In light of the above, we should interpret what is written, “And you will speak to all the wise-hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom.” We asked, What is the connection to the wise-hearted, since wisdom pertains to the mind? The thing is that we should make two discernments in the Torah, which pertain to the Lishma: 1) Kli, 2) light.

The Kli that is fit to receive the light must be in equivalence with the light, for on this was the Tzimtzum and the concealment. We learned that Malchut de Ein Sof, which is the root of the creatures, desired Dvekut, called “equivalence of form,” and all the corrections are only about performing this correction, to correct the vessels of reception so they work in order to bestow.

Therefore, a person who is born with the will to receive and wants to correct it into working in order to bestow, since this is against nature, he has only one counsel: Only the light of Torah can invert him into working in order to bestow, as it is written, “I have created the evil inclination; I have created the Torah as a spice,” and the light in it reforms the heart. It is said that “evil” is receiving for one’s self, and “good” is when his heart is only about bestowal and not about reception.

For this reason, those who engage in Torah not necessarily in order to know the rules and customs how to observe the Mitzvot, but have another, exalted role, that they are learning Torah in order to correct the heart, these are called “wise-hearted,” since everything is named after its action. For this reason, the Torah they learn with this intention is called “wise-hearted” and not “wise-minded,” since they need the Torah in order to correct the heart.

In this way we should interpret what is written, “Whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom.” Once they have Kelim that are suitable for the light, where as the light that comes from above is to bestow, so the Kli should aim to bestow, since they already have this Kli, which they have obtained through the light of Torah, they are called “wise-hearted,” since they learned Torah in order to correct the heart. That is, they have suitable Kelim; therefore, they should receive the Torah, which is called “Torah of life.”

This is the meaning of the words, “whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom,” pertaining to the light. That is, the light, too, goes to the heart because once they have acquired new Kelim, called “vessels of bestowal,” and they want to bestow contentment upon the Creator, they see that only one thing is missing in the King’s house. Since our sages said ( Midrash Rabbah, Beresheet), “The Creator said to the angels when He came to create Adam HaRishon and the angels slandered him, What is this like? Like a king who has a tower filled abundantly but no guests. What pleasure has he from his work?”

Therefore, when a person wishes only to bring contentment to the Creator, his heart, which wants to enjoy giving something to the King, to please Him, finds only one thing that the King can enjoy—that they will receive from Him the delight and pleasure that He wishes to give to the creatures. Since there is a tower filled abundantly, and he wishes to be the Creator’s guest, he should come into the tower and receive from Him delight, as this is the King’s pleasure. It follows that the light of Torah that a person wants to receive as “Torah of life” is for man’s heart, so he will have something with which to delight the King.

This is the meaning of the words, “And you will speak to all the wise-hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom.” That is, the spirit of wisdom filled him. Whom? The wise-hearted. This pertains to the light, for the light comes to the wise-hearted. The heart is called “desire,” and it wants to receive the Torah of life in order to thereby delight the Creator, as in the allegory about the king who has a tower filled abundantly but no guests.

According to the above, we should interpret what our sages said (Berachot 58a), “He would say, ‘A good guest, what does he say? What trouble has the host gone through for me, and all his trouble were only for me.’”

It is known that it is possible to be a guest only where there is a host. Therefore, when a person believes in the Creator, that He is the landlord of the world, and a person feels that he is a guest, yet wants to adhere to Him, as our sags said about the verse, “And to cling unto Him,” which means “cling unto His attributes: as He is merciful, so you are merciful,” this is called a “good guest.”

The meaning of “good” is as is written (Psalms 85), “My heart overflows with a good thing; I say, my work is for the King.” It means that all of his actions will be only for the King, meaning for the Creator. This is called “a good thing.” When all his actions are in order to bestow, then he is regarded as “wise-hearted,” and comes to a state of “Torah of life,” which is the names of the Creator, where the delight and pleasure that He wished to give to the creatures is found.

At that time, he says, “Everything that the host did, he did only for me,” and not at all for himself, as in the allegory about the king who has a tower filled abundantly but no guests. Now we can interpret the “secrets of Torah,” meaning which secret the Torah reveals.

We should interpret this in two discernments: 1) The Torah reveals something new to a person, which he did not know before. This is so because man is born with a nature of wanting to receive. When told to work with a desire to bestow, it is to him unimportant and despicable. The body wants to run away from such desires, since it can only lose if it uses the vessels of bestowal.

However, when a person learns Torah with the aim to be rewarded with the light of Torah because this light reforms him, this light of Torah reveals something new to him, which he did not know before. That is, now he knows the complete opposite of what he thought before. Before he was rewarded with the light of Torah, he knew that what is important to man is primarily the vessels of reception, for with the vessels of reception he can receive the joys of life in this world. Conversely, with acts of bestowal he can only do good to others, that they, too, will enjoy the world through his help.

However, this is only for the purpose of Mitzva, because he feels sorry for others who cannot provide for themselves, and he is helping them. Certainly, he expects those people whom he benefits not to be ungrateful and respect him.

But now, by being rewarded with the light of Torah, which reforms him, something new has been revealed to him: By using the vessels of reception, he loses life and delight and pleasure for himself. If he uses the vessels of bestowal for the sake of others, he will receive true delight and pleasure for himself. Only through vessels of bestowal does he gain for himself delight and pleasure, whereas with vessels of reception he loses delight and pleasure. This secret has now been revealed to him through the light of the Torah.

By this we can interpret what our sages said (Pesachim 50a), “I saw an opposite world, the upper ones below, and the lower ones above.” We should interpret that something new has been revealed to him: What is regarded as “upper ones” in the world of falsehood, meaning vessels of reception, which is an important thing called “upper ones,” in the world of truth, meaning when one is rewarded with the light of Torah, regarded as being “rewarded with the truth,” then we see the lower ones above.

In the world of falsehood, the vessels of bestowal are regarded as having inferior importance and are degraded. Sometimes, when a person must work with them, he tastes in them the taste of lowliness, since he does not see what the will to receive for himself gains from them. But there, in the world of truth, they are of superior importance because only through them it is possible to acquire any delight and pleasure. Therefore, it turns out that the lower ones are of superior importance.

This is the meaning of the words, “upper ones below.” The vessels of reception are appreciated in the world of falsehood, for we use only the vessels of reception for ourselves because we think that through them we can enjoy. But in the world of truth, when one is rewarded with the light of Torah, we see something new that has been revealed—the vessels of reception only cause us losses in life. They interfere with our attainment of the delight and pleasure. It turns out that the upper ones are of inferior importance. This is the secret for which the Torah is called the “secrets of Torah,” as it reveals the truth to man.

2) The Torah reveals that the name “secrets of Torah” is given for before he attains the vessels bestowal through the light of Torah, he attains only the clothing of Torah, where the Creator is clothed in the clothing. Now, the one who wears, who is clothed in the Torah, also becomes revealed to a person. This Torah is called “Torah of life,” which is the names of the Creator. This is called “the Torah and Israel and the Creator are one.”

By this we will understand what we asked, What are Torah and work, in the work? The answer is that he learns Torah in order to be able to do the work, which is called “which God has created to do.” That is, the creatures must do the work of turning the will to receive into a desire to bestow, by which they will have Dvekut, which is equivalence of form, and they will also be able to receive the delight and pleasure, which is the purpose of creation.

Inapoi la pagina 1988 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Inapoi la pagina 1988 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

What Are the Two Discernments before Lishma?

Article No. 11, Tav-Shin-Mem-Het, 1987-88

The Zohar, Exodus, asks about the verse, “These are the names of the sons of Israel who are coming to Egypt with Jacob; they came each one with his household.” Why does it begin with Israel and end with Jacob? It explains there in relation to the upper degrees. We should understand the meaning of the two degrees during the period of preparation, too, before a person is rewarded with Lishma [for Her sake]: “Israel” implies wholeness, since Israel is Li-Rosh [a Rosh (head) unto me], and Jacob is a smaller degree.

The order is that a person begins the work of the Creator in Lo Lishma [not for Her sake]. At that time the work he does is in practice, meaning without the intention, which should be to bestow. Therefore, in the practice, a person sees that he is making good progress, and each day his possessions of Torah and Mitzvot [commandments/good deeds] increase. A person feels that he is in a state of ascent, since he sees that he is rising in degree, meaning he sees that he is accumulating more each time.

In that state he receives vitality in his work from the Surrounding Light, which shines for everyone, meaning the light that shines for the whole of Israel, as it is explained (in The Study of the Ten Sefirot, Part 1) that the Surrounding Light shines even for the vessels of reception. Conversely, the Inner Light shines specifically to the vessels of bestowal, since the first restriction, which was over Behina Dalet [Phase 4], not to receive light within it, caused the light to depart from the Kli [vessel], for the light was shining in the interior.

Concerning the Surrounding Light, it is explained in Panim Masbirot that “The fourth is the Surrounding Light itself, since now Ein Sof [infinity/no end] illuminates bestowal from its place in remoteness from the place. That is, since the point of desire of Behina Dalet has been diminished and contained no will to receive, she lost her vessel of reception and could not receive within her the light of Ein Sof as before, and the middle point became removed from the light. For this reason, we call this “Removal of place to Ein Sof.”

This means that the light of Ein Sof shines as surrounding even in places where the Kli is still unfit to receive in order to bestow. Rather, this is called “restricted illumination.” Conversely, the Inner Light shines abundant bestowal, as explained there.

For this reason, in the state of Lo Lishma, a person feels that he is regarded as Israel. But when a person wants to begin the work of bestowal, meaning to have Kelim to receive Inner Light, when he wants to emerge from self-love, then he comes into the exile in Egypt. That is, then a person sees how he is remote from Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator in equivalence of form. Instead, whether in mind or in heart, the Klipa [shell/peel] of Egypt governs.

In that state, he sees that he is far from being Israel. Instead, he is in a state of Jacob, a state of Katnut [smallness/infancy] from the words Akev [heel] and Sof [end]. In other words, he is in utter lowliness, seeing that each day, he is farther from the Creator and has no grip on Kedusha[holiness/sanctity].

This is called the “exile in Egypt.” This is the meaning of Pharaoh coming to a person and asking, “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice?” That is, each time, thoughts of Pharaoh come and ask him this question, and a person has but one counsel, to cry out to the Creator to help him out of these thoughts, which are a concealment that hides the faith in the Creator. This is also called Metzar-Mi [narrow/distress-who], when Mitzraim [Egypt] ask, “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice?” This is Metzar-Yam [narrow-sea].

In that state, he is always in doubt. This is the meaning of the words, “who are coming to Egypt,” meaning Metzar-Koh [narrow/distress-Creator]. “With Jacob” means that they have come to the degree of Akev [heal], the Sof [end] and conclusion of Kedusha [holiness/sanctity], which they felt in the Koh [Creator] when they had to take upon them the kingdom of heaven. They regretted not being able to do so because of the questions of Pharaoh, King of Egypt, who governed them with the “who” and “what” questions, which are regarded as “mind” and “heart,” meaning “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice,” and “What is this work for you?”

This is the meaning of the words, “From the narrow place, I called on Koh [the Lord].” The prayer is because they suffer troubles from the Egyptians, as it is written, “And they cried out to the Lord in their distress; He will save them from their afflictions.” It is known that Tzar [narrow/distressing] means narrow in Hassadim [mercies]. That is, they could not engage in bestowal. In other words, when they wanted to take upon themselves the kingdom of heaven—called Koh—in order to bestow, they felt narrowness [also troubles], that they could not do anything in Hesed [mercy].

The difference between bestowing and working in order to receive is great. When we want to use the vessels of reception, we can derive delight and pleasure from the fact that sparks of light, called “vessels of reception,” were placed in the Klipot [shells/peels] from the beginning, so that the world would exist. For this reason, when a person wants to use the vessels of reception, he has a place from which the pleasures called “slim light” extend and shine in the world so it may exist.

But when a person does not want to use the vessels of reception, but he has not obtained vessels of bestowal, he is in an uncomfortable state. He still does not have the place from which to draw delight and pleasure. Hence, when he wants to work in bestowal and receive delight and pleasure in vessels of bestowal, since he still does not have vessels of bestowal, when he feels the exile he cries out, “From the narrow place, I have called on Koh [the Lord]; answer me in the wide expanse, Koh.” “Wide” means expansive in Hassadim, when the Creator helps him with the quality of Hassadim, meaning gives him vessels of bestowal.

This is regarded as emerging from the exile in Egypt and entering redemption, in that now he can work in order to bestow because he already feels the importance of the greatness of the Creator, since he has vessels of bestowal, called “equivalence of form.” This is so because when the Creator gives him the expansion of the vessels of bestowal, the Tzimtzum [restriction] and concealment are removed from him, which he had through the power of the control of the Klipa of Egypt with their questions and dominations. Now, however, he receives the kingdom of heaven not as something “narrow,” as before, but “expansively.” This is the meaning of “Answer me in the wide expanse, Koh.” At that time it is regarded that he has been rewarded with work Lishma.

It follows that we should make two discernments in the work even before we achieve Lishma. The first is Israel, when he feels that he has wholeness, as in Li-Rosh [a head unto me]. This applies to the work of the general public, at which time he receives the general surrounding, which shines from afar. That is, even when a person is still remote from the Creator, meaning he is still immersed in his will to receive for himself, even in this Lo Lishma there are pleasures that are mixed together with his work. These are pleasures he receives from other people who respect and honor him, etc., which he receives from people because they know that he is serving the Creator. Here he receives the pleasure of “slim light,” which is given to corporeal pleasures, which are generally called “envy,” “lust,” and “honor.” Because of it, they feel themselves as whole, as Israel.

The second discernment is when he begins to enter the work of Lishma. At that time he begins to go down to the exile in Egypt, and the body begins to betray the person and does not let him do this work by asking all kinds of questions that cannot be answered within reason, while above reason, a person cannot always overcome it. At that time he begins to feel ascents and descents because each time, he is shown from above what is the work of bestowal and not for his own sake. Although every person understands this, when it comes from above, when he is given the understanding, he comes to feel it. This is when the work with “mortar and bricks” begins, when they feel the hardships of the enslavement of the exile.

According to the above, we should interpret “And the king of Egypt died.” This pertains to the work for their own sake, called the “Klipa of the King of Egypt.” They have stopped working for him, meaning they felt that working for themselves, called “the control of the king of Egypt,” is regarded as death. Instead, they took upon themselves to work for the sake of the Creator, but then they had no power to work because the king of Egypt governed them.

It follows that they do not work for their own sake, yet cannot work for the sake of the Creator. This is the meaning of the verse, “And the children of Israel sighed from the work, and they cried out, and their cry rose up to God from the work.” That is, what is the meaning of “and they cried out”? It is that “their cry rose up” pertained to “God from the work.” That is, the fact that they wanted their work to be for the sake of God and not for their own sake, but could not do the work, this was their cry.

It is known that there is no light without a Kli. In other words, it is impossible to give something to someone by force, as it is known that there is no coercion in spirituality. Therefore, when a person is afflicted and suffers pain and suffering from not being able to emerge from self-love and work only for the sake of the Creator, he cries out to the Creator to help and give him what he wants. That is, if the Creator gives him this: the ability to revoke his own authority and annul before the authority of the Creator, for he wants only the singular authority to be in the world, namely the authority of the Creator; this is his only salvation. This is considered that he has a Kli and a need for the Creator’s help.

This is the meaning of the words, “And God heard their groaning.” That is, once they had a Kli, which is a desire and need to have the ability to work for the sake of the Creator, then comes the time when “God heard their groaning,” meaning that then the redemption began—delivering them from under the afflictions of Egypt.

However, it is known that we must walk on two lines, meaning on the right line, too. This means that a person must thank the Creator for letting him see what he was lacking. In other words, the fact that his suffering is from being remote from the love of the Creator, that these are his troubles and pains, whereas other people, the Creator does not give them this suffering, but their troubles and suffering are from being unable to satisfy their corporeal needs, which pertain to self-love, meaning that they are as beasts and have no idea of anything other than self-reception. For this they were in gladness and gratitude to the Creator.

However, this is hard work, since the left line cancels the right line. Hence, there is always new work to rebuild it. This is the meaning of the words, “And they made their lives bitter with hard work with mortar and with bricks.” Their work was with Homer [mortar], meaning on the left line, when they saw the gravity of their situation, how remote they were from the love of the Creator. Afterward, the work on the right line is to be in gladness because the Creator’s showed them the truth about the state that they are in. This is called Levenim [bricks].

Inapoi la pagina 1988 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Inapoi la pagina 1988 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

What Are the Four Qualities of Those Who Go to the Seminary, in the Work?

Article No. 10, Tav-Shin-Mem-Het, 1987-88

Our sages said (Avot, Chapter 5:17), “There are four qualities among those who go to the seminary: He who goes but does not do has the reward of going in his hand. He who does but does not go has the reward of doing in his hand. He who goes and does is a Hassid. He who neither goes nor does is wicked.”

We should understand the following: 1) Why does he not say about one who goes and does that he has the reward of going and doing, but merely calls him a Hassid? 2) He says, “Four qualities among those who go to the seminary, and counts one who neither goes nor does as one of the qualities of those who go to the seminary. But he is not doing anything, so why does he count him as one of the qualities?

First we need to understand the reward for going and the reward for doing. It is known that it is forbidden to work for a reward, as our sages said, “Serve the Rav [great one] not to receive reward.” However, we should understand what is written (Avot 2:1), “Calculate the loss of a Mitzva[commandment/good deed] opposite its reward.” Thus, we do need to work for a reward, as it is written, “If you learned much Torah, you are given a great reward, and you can trust your landlord to pay for your work.”

We see that the whole world works for a reward. However, reward does not necessarily mean money, which is a return for the effort. Rather, anything that a person receives in return for his work, something he needs and which will make him happy, counts as a reward. For this reason, we see that a person might work and toil for money, but one might also pay money for respect. Sometimes, a person gives money and respect in order to get his life. In other words, a reward is that which a person needs, as it is written, “Man will give all that he has for his life.”

Thus, what is the reward we can receive in return for observing Torah and Mitzvot [plural of Mitzva]? It is Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator, as it is written, “What does the Lord your God ask of you? To cling unto Him.” It is written in the essay “A Speech for the Completion of The Zohar”: “It is known that the desired purpose of the work in Torah and Mitzvot is to cleave unto the Creator, as it is written, ‘and to cleave unto Him.’”

Dvekut means repentance. Since man was created with an inherent desire to receive for himself, which is called “separation” due to disparity of form, meaning that because of it, a person becomes far from Him, in order to achieve equivalence of form, called Dvekut, he must make great efforts in order to struggle with his nature, which is a desire to receive for himself and not to bestow. Also, the measure of bestowal that a person much achieve is “with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.” He must not leave any existence for himself, to the extent that a person cannot achieve equivalence of form by himself.

Instead, what one must do is only to be as “he who comes to purify.” In other words, a person should prepare a Kli [vessel] and a need for the Creator to help him. It is known that there is no light without a Kli. It follows that the measure of the labor is that a person must install within him a lack, that he is deficient of equivalence of form, called “repentance.” He yearns to repent, but he is unable to achieve it by himself.

Thus, for what does he pray and labor in order to be rewarded for his labor? Only for yearning for repentance, since through the exertion he puts in order to achieve repentance, it gradually installs in him a lack and need by which a person sees that he needs the help of the Creator. At that time, “He who comes to purify is aided” comes true. The Zohar asks, “With what is he aided?” It answers, “With a holy soul.” At that time he is rewarded with a soul, as in, “Man’s soul will teach him.”

By this we will understand what we asked, “Is it permitted to work and toil in order for the Creator to reward us, since they said, ‘Be as slaves serving the Rav [great one] in order not to be rewarded.’” However, we should understand why it is forbidden to receive reward. It is so because a person must work in order to achieve equivalence of form. If one asks for reward for his work, then he is under the authority of self-reception. This is the opposite of equivalence of form, and why it is forbidden to work for a reward.

But one who works and toils and prays for the Creator to reward his labor, what reward is he aiming for? The reward he wants is for the Creator to give him the strength to make all his thoughts and actions be only about bestowal upon the Creator, and not for his own sake. Thus, this reward he is asking brings him to equivalence of form, which is called “repentance,” when he returns to Dvekutwith the Creator, from whom he parted.

This is similar to what he says in the book A Sage’s Fruit (Part 1, p 116): “It is known that the soul is a part of God above. Before it comes in a body, it is as adhered as a branch to the root.” It is also written there that “the purpose of the soul when it comes in the body is to be rewarded, while clothed in the body, with returning to its root and to clinging unto Him.”

We therefore see that a person should try to be rewarded for his work, and the reward is repentance. That is, we do not say that a person should aim while working in Torah and Mitzvot, that the work will be without an intention to be rewarded. On the contrary, a person must always have a clear goal before him, as it written in The Zohar, “Man’s prayer should be sufficiently explicit and clear.” In other words, a person must know what he needs, and he should try to obtain it through labor and prayer.

However, it is known that the prayer must come from the bottom of the heart. In other words, a person must clearly know that alone, he cannot achieve repentance, which is to adhere to the Creator in equivalence of form. This awareness comes to a person only when he has done everything he could do. Then it can be said that now he knows for certain that it is out of his hands, and only the Creator can help him.

Now we will explain what we asked concerning what our sages said about the four qualities among those who go to the seminary: 1) “He who goes but does not do has the reward of going in his hand.” In the work, this means that he is going on the way to achieve Dvekut with the Creator, called “the way of bestowal.” However, he sees that he is not doing anything with the aim to bestow.

He “has the reward of going in his hand,” meaning that the fact that he wants to walk on the path of truth is already considered a reward. In other words, he should thank the Creator for rewarding him with a desire to walk on the path of truth, while others, who engage in Torah and Mitzvot, do not have this desire. They settle for simply working, without considering their intention while engaging in Torah and Mitzvot, as is the general public.

2) “He who does but does not go has the reward of doing in his hand.” This means that he engages in Torah and Mitzvot in everything he can observe, in every detail and intricacy. However, he is not walking on the path that leads directly to Dvekut with the Creator. Instead, he settles for what he does without the intention. He “has the reward of doing in his hand.” Although he is not going, his reward is that he should be pleased because the Creator has given him a desire and yearning to observe Torah and Mitzvot. He does not see any merit in himself compared to other people, to whom the Creator did not give this desire and yearning, while he did receive from the Creator this desire. He believes that everything happens through private Providence.

For this reason, he gives many thanks to the Creator for being able to have a part in Torah and Mitzvot, while the rest of the people were not privileged with this. This is considered that he “has the reward of doing in his hand,” that he thanks the Creator. This degree applies to both the general public and to individuals. That is, those who are advancing on the individual path also have times when they do not want to be among those who are “going,” so they should be happy with “doing.”

3) “He who goes and does is a Hassid.” We asked, Why in the first two discernments, it is written that he has a reward in his hand, while here in the third discernments, it does not say that he has a reward in his hand, but rather that he is a Hassid?

We should interpret we must know that whether he “goes but does not do” or “does but does not go,” a person still has his own authority. That is, he has still not been rewarded with annulling his self-authority and inclusion in the Creator, which is called “repentance.” Our sages said, “The Torah exists only in he who puts himself to death over it.” We interpreted that he has annulled his self-authority and then he has only the singular authority, which is the authority of the Creator, while he himself does not even appear in reality.

Therefore, in a state of “going and doing,” it cannot be said that he has a reward in his hand, since he has no hand. That is, he has no self-authority of which we can say that there is he who can receive. This is why they said Hassid, meaning he is in a state where he says, “Mine is Yours, and Yours is Yours.” There can be reward between two authorities, similar to an employee working for an employer. The employer pays him for his work.

But if a son works for his father and the son is supported by his father, meaning he is still living in his father’s house and has no independence, then the son does not receive a salary from his father. However, when the son begins to think that he wants to be independent and not be dependent on his father, his father begins to pay him a salary for his work.

The same applies here in the work, when a person is rewarded with “going and doing” everything for the sake of the Creator. At that time, he has no self-authority, but rather he annuls himself before the Creator. This is called “ Dvekut and equivalence of form,” and it is called “repentance.” At that time, it cannot be said that he has a reward in his hand because he has no hand to buy, meaning his own authority. This is why they did not say, “reward in his hand,” but said that he is regarded as a Hassid.

Now we will explain what we asked when he says, “four qualities among those who go to the seminary,” and one of them is “he who neither goes nor does.” If he does not do anything, why is it regarded among the four qualities of those who go to the seminary?

It is known that when a person wants to work on the path to achieve Dvekut with the Creator, which is equivalence of form, the body objects to everything. He might come to a state where he feels that he has come to the worst lowliness, meaning he sees that he is “not going,” meaning he is not advancing in bestowal, and he is “not doing” either, meaning he is unable to do good deeds, and anything he does requires tremendous efforts.

That is, now he sees that he is worse than when he began to work on the path of bestowal. Previously, he was very happy when he was doing good deeds, and especially during prayer. But now he has come to such lowliness that it is very difficult for him to pray. That is, all the things he would do with joy before he began to work on bestowal, now he sees them as lowly.

Now he feels the meaning of “ Shechina [Divinity] in the dust,” meaning that all the sacred things have the form of dust, namely they taste like dust. Every little thing he does is unbearably hard because it has lost its value. Thus, now he sees that he has regressed, meaning he is neither going nor doing. It is about this that our sages said that he is wicked.

However, the question is, Why has he come to this state after all the efforts he has made because he wanted to walk on the path of truth? According to what Baal HaSulam said, the time of answering the prayer, for man to receive permission to enter the King’s palace so that He will bring him closer to Him and he will be rewarded with Dvekut with the Creator, is specifically when a person sees that, he is lost and powerless to do anything. At that time a person gives a real prayer, since he sees that he is simply wicked. That is, he has no grip on Kedusha [holiness/sanctity].

For this reason, when a person comes into a descent, he should not be startled and escape the campaign. On the contrary, this is the time to make a heartfelt prayer.

In this regard, we should interpret what our sages said ( Hulin 7b), “Israel are holy. Some want and do not have.” RASHI interprets that some want to please others with what he has but is unable to, and from him, I do not want to enjoy. “Some have and do not want.” RASHI interprets that he has the ability but does not want to delight others. “So said Rabbi Pinhas to Rabbi.”

The question is, Why is the one who has but does not want to give to others regarded as holy? The Tosfot explains, “He who has but does not want, even so they are called ‘holy,’ for he invites his friend to eat at his place because of shame.”

We should interpret “Israel are holy” in the work. There is he who wants to work in order to bestow but does not have. When he considers his actions, he sees that he is immersed in self-love and cannot do anything in order to bestow. He is called “holy” because he is walking on the path of truth. Although he sees that he is regressing, he still clings to the path of truth. In the end, he will touch the truth, meaning that he is truly in Dvekut with the Creator. Because the most important are the Kelim [vessels], called “desire,” and since he wants to achieve Dvekut, he will be rewarded.

It is as Baal HaSulam said about what is written, “Will give wisdom to the wise.” He asked, “It should have said, ‘Will give wisdom to the fools.’ However, ‘wise’ is he who desires wisdom. Then he has a Kli[vessel] in which to bestow. But fools have no desire for wisdom whatsoever, as it is written, ‘the fool has no desire for understanding.’”

It follows that one who wants to walk on the path of Kedusha is called holy. “Holy” means as it is written, “You will be holy,” which means that they retire from self-reception. For this reason, he is holy. This is the meaning of the words, “Israel are holy; there is he who wants but does not have.” And there are also those who have but do not want. This means that he has Mitzvot and good deeds, but he does not want to walk on the path that leads to “in order to bestow.” Instead, he settles for Lo Lishma [not for Her sake]. He, too, is called “holy,” since the act is fine and he has nothing to add in actions.

Inapoi la pagina 1988 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Inapoi la pagina 1988 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

What Does It Mean that the Righteous Suffers Afflictions?

Article No. 09, Tav-Shin-Mem-Het, 1987-88

The Zohar (VaYeshev, Item 11) interprets the verse, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous”: “‘Many are the afflictions of the righteous, and the Lord will deliver him from them all.’ It is not written, ‘Many are the afflictions to the righteous,’ but rather ‘Many are the afflictions of the righteous,’ indicating that one who suffers many afflictions is righteous because the Creator wants him. And because of it, the Creator wants that person and delivers him from them all.”

We should understand these words: 1) Why should the righteous suffer afflictions? 2) If afterward, “the Lord delivers him,” then what is the point in afflicting the righteous if the Creator must then save him? It seems like pointless work.

It is known that the order of the work for those who want to walk on the path of truth, called Lishma[for Her sake], meaning in order to bestow and not for themselves, is that they want to be righteous and not wicked, called “receiving in order to receive” in the work. That is, even the acts of bestowal that they do with their intention to receive are considered wicked in the words of The Zohar, as it says about the verse, “‘And the mercy of the nations is a sin,’ for all the good that they do, they do for themselves.” This means that all the good that they do, their intention is their own benefit, and this is their sin.

Conversely, those who want to serve the Creator must work only for the sake of the Creator and not for their own sake. Therefore, the nature of the creatures is only for their own sake, as it is known that the desire to do good to His creations created a lack for this purpose, meaning for the creatures to yearn to receive pleasures, for without yearning, a person cannot enjoy anything. Moreover, the extent of the pleasure depends on the measure of the yearning.

For this reason, when a person is told he must relinquish his own benefit and work for the sake of the Creator, for only by this can he achieve Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator, and this is man’s purpose and is considered repentance, since the quality of reception separates a person from the Creator due to disparity of form because the Creator is the giver and the creatures receive from Him what He gives them, for this reason when a person comes to a degree where all he wants is to bestow, this is called “equivalence of form.” This is regarded as the creature returning to its root, meaning unites with the Creator. At that time he reaches the degree of “righteous,” since he is no longer working for his own sake, but for the sake of the Creator.

Therefore, when a person does not want to work for the sake of the body, the body resists his work and does not let him do anything that is in order to bestow. When a person forgets the intention to bestow and begins to work in order to receive, he can once again continue the work. Yet according to the rule, from Lo Lishma [not for Her sake] we come to Lishma [for Her sake], an awakening from above comes to him that we must work in order to bestow. Then, he immediately encounters resistance from the body, which does not let him continue with the work of bestowal and he begins to feel the troubles that the body inflicts on him.

He repeatedly overcomes his body to some extent but then descends from his work once more and feels the bad in him. It follows that one who wants to be righteous constantly feels the afflictions that the body causes him. That is, each time he wants to do something to bestow, the wicked one comes and asks, “What is this work for you?” But when a person works for himself there is no place for the wicked to ask “What is this work for you?” because he is working for the sake of the wicked, called “will to receive for himself.” It follows that the wicked’s question comes specifically when he wants to work for the sake of the Creator.

Now we understand why specifically the righteous suffer many afflictions. It is because man’s inclination overcomes him every day. That is, when the evil inclination sees that a person has some light, called “day,” that he is on the right path, it immediately overcomes him and wants to fail him with its complaints, telling him, “What will you get from wanting to work to bestow?” And that same order happens each and every day.

This is as our sages said (Kidushin 40), “One should always see himself as if he is half guilty, half innocent. If he performs one Mitzva [commandment/good deed], happy is he, for he has sentenced himself to the side of merit.” Yet, if “One should always see himself as half guilty, half innocent. If he performs one Mitzva, happy is he, for he has sentenced himself to the side of merit,” then how can he say again, “half,” since he was already sentenced to the side of merit, so why do they say “always”?

As was said, “Man’s inclination overcomes him every day.” The minute the evil inclination sees that now it is “day” for him, it immediately overcomes him. It follows that according to the measure of good that he did, the evil promptly overcomes him, and then he is once more “half guilty, half innocent.”

This is the meaning of “overcomes him every day.” That is, each day there is new overcoming. We should interpret that “man’s inclination overcomes him every day” means that the bad in him is increasing, as in, “a growing stream of adding evil.” For this reason, it is “One opposite the other.” As soon as a person overcomes and does a good deed, the evil inclination overcomes him.

It follows that the righteous suffers many afflictions. That is, each day, the bad in him grows and according to his good deeds, so the evil becomes revealed in him. It is as our sages said, “Anyone who is greater than his friend, his inclination is greater than him.”

We should understand what the words, “than him” imply to us. According to what we explained, “than him,” meaning the fact that his inclination has grown, comes as a result of man’s growing, since he tried to be a man and not a beast. From this, the inclination grew, as well, as it is written, “One should always be half guilty, half innocent,” so as to be able to defeat the evil.

It is impossible to defeat the evil at once. Hence, the evil appears to a person slowly. Each time a person does something good, there is a place to reveal some more evil. This repeats itself until a person corrects all the evil within him. It follows that this is why the righteous suffers many afflictions.

We could ask, Why does all the evil not appear in a person at once? The answer is that a person would not be able to overcome all the evil within him. Only when the bad in him is not more than the good and the two are equal, a person can overcome through the power of Torah and Mitzvot[commandments/good deeds]. For this reason, the bad emerges in a person gradually, meaning to the extent that he has obtained the good, some bad is revealed to him from above, until over time, all the bad in a person will be corrected.

This extends from the order of scrutinies, as it is written, that it is permitted to sort only the 288 sparks, which are the upper nine that exist in each path of the 32 paths, but Malchut in each path is forbidden to scrutinize. This is called the “stony heart,” as in, “And I will remove the stony heart from your flesh,” since it is impossible to correct this evil during the six thousand years. After the six thousand years, when the 288 sparks have been sorted, all the evil will be sorted, as it is written in The Zohar, “The angel of death will become a holy angel,” and this is called “Death will be swallowed up forever.”

In this manner, when a person corrects the evil in him, meaning the vessels of reception, so they work in order to bestow, it is impossible to correct it at once. Rather, the vessel of reception in him, which is the source of evil that separates us from the Creator, divides into many parts. This is a correction from above. By dividing into many parts, each time we correct a part into Kedusha[holiness/sanctity], another part immediately comes—a bigger piece than what we needed to correct before. Because a person becomes accustomed to the work, he is given a bigger piece of the evil in him to correct each time.

It is like a person practicing weight-lifting. Each day he is given a heavier weight to lift. Likewise, in the work, each day we are given a bigger piece of evil to raise. This causes us to see as if we are not advancing in the work, but are regressing. That is, each day we see that the work is growing harder to overcome. But the reason is that each day we are given a bigger piece to correct.

“The Lord will deliver him from them all.” We asked, If the Lord should deliver us from the bad, why does He give us the bad, to suffer for no reason? That is, if man could overcome by himself, we could understand that it is given to man to correct. But if the Creator saves him, then what is the point of giving him many afflictions?

We already asked, Why can’t a person overcome by himself and only the Creator must save? And if we are given the choice to overcome, why are we not given the strength to be able to overcome? According to what Baal HaSulam said, this is so deliberately, so that a person will ask the Creator for help, and the help He gives is that He gives him a higher soul, in order for a person to need to receive a higher degree.

Since man must attain the NRNHY of his soul, and without a need, meaning without a Kli [vessel], it is impossible to receive filling, it was deliberately made so that man should begin the work. When he sees that he cannot overcome, he must not despair but rather pray to the Creator, as The Zoharsays, “He who comes to purify is aided. And with what? With a holy soul.”

Accordingly, there are two things here: 1) A person must begin to work in bestowal so as to have a need for the Creator to help him, since if he could overcome by himself, he would not need the Creator’s help. This is considered that he does not have a Kli [vessel], and there is no light without a Kli. 2) Man was not given the ability to overcome by himself. It follows that this is why he must begin but cannot finish.

By this we understand what we asked, Why the righteous deserve to suffer many afflictions? It is because the suffering that the righteous suffer from the afflictions obstructs him from achieving Dvekut with the Creator, and this causes him to have a Kli. And the reason why there are so many afflictions until he cannot overcome them, but the Creator “delivers him from them all” and a person cannot defeat them by himself, is on purpose, since the Creator cannot give a person a higher degree if he has no need for it. For this reason, the Creator gives him the parts of his soul as deliverance, as it is written, “And the Lord delivers him from them all.”

For this reason, two things are required: 1) The righteous must have many afflictions, which are the Kli. 2) Then, He gives him the parts of the soul as deliverance.

However, normally, when people ask, they begin to ask the Creator to help them out of the evil and give them a soul over a piece that has already been recognized as evil. But why does the Creator want a person to reveal a certain measure of evil and then the Creator will help him?

This is how it seems to man. However, we should make two discernments here: 1) Indeed, the Creator helps a person by revealing to him the bad in him, so he will know the truth. 2) This is revealed only to those who are capable of walking on the path of bestowal. This is why they are shown the evil, so they will have the ability to correct it. But to people who have no connection to the work of bestowal, the evil is revealed only in general.

This is similar to what we do in this world. When a person suffers from an incurable disease, he is not told what is his illness. Instead, he is told that he has other illnesses, but the truth, that he has a terminal illness, is not shared with him. The reason for this is simple: What will happen if he is told of the bad in him if he cannot correct it? For this reason, in spirituality, a person is shown the evil very slowly, to the extent of his ability to work.

Accordingly, if a person does not have the revelation of evil to an extent that he has a Kli and a need that is fit to contain a soul, it is impossible to place a soul in half a Kli. It is like an embryo in its mother’s womb, as our sages said, “There are three partners in a person: The Creator, his father, and his mother. The father gives the white; the mother gives the red, and the Creator gives the soul.”

Clearly, everyone knows that if the father and the mother do their part, a half fetus might still be born. That is, if they do their part, the embryo might be born without a head, but only a body, or vice versa, it might be born with a head but no body. Do we want to ask the Creator to do His part, meaning to give a soul to half an embryo and this is how it will be born? Of course, no one is so foolish.

It is likewise in the work of the Creator. When a person begins the work, he first begins with the white. His father and mother are called the “parents.” They are the reason that a person will be born. The father is called “male,” meaning “wholeness,” and this is called “white,” where there are no lacks. That is, he is content with his lot and thanks the Creator for any contact he may have with the work of the Creator, for rewarding him and giving him a thought and desire to have some contact with the work of the Creator. It is as our sages said, “Walks but does not do, the reward for walking is in his hand.”

Afterward, he shifts to the left line, called “the mother’s red.” The mother is regarded as a female, a lack, criticizing his good deeds to see if they have the aim to bestow. At that time he sees the truth, that he is far from it. This gives him the need to pray that the Creator will bring him closer so he will be rewarded with Dvekut with the Creator. Then, a person expects, since he already has two lines and he already feels that he has a need and a Kli, so what else does he need? Only that the Creator will do His part, meaning give the soul.

However, if the father’s white and the mother’s red are still not worthy, since they have not been completed, and for example, they might produce only half a baby, the Creator certainly cannot do His part, which is to give the soul. For this reason, the Creator waits for the right and left lines to be completed, so it will be possible to create a complete thing. Then, the Creator gives the soul.

For this reason, a person cannot say that the Creator does not want to help. On the contrary, the Creator assembles each and every action until there is a complete measure, sufficient for the soul to shine in.

It is written about it in the book A Sage’s Fruit (Vol. 1, p 196): “It is written, ‘Take no rest, and give Him no rest until He establishes, and He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.’ So we rush our pleas above, knock by knock, tirelessly, ceaselessly, and do not weaken at all when He does not answer us. We believe He hears our prayer but waits for us, for a time when we have the Kelim [vessels] to receive the faithful bounty, and then we will receive a reply for each and every prayer at once, since ‘the hand of the Lord will not be short.’”

It follows that one should not say that he is praying every day but he is not receiving help from the Creator. Instead, he should believe that the Creator takes each prayer a person prays and adds it to the rest of the prayers that the person has prayed so far, and waits until the measure is full so it is fit to receive the soul from the Creator.

Also, we should make two discernments concerning the prayer in request for the Creator to help and give strength from above to overcome the evil: 1) A person asks the Creator to be able to admit the vessels of bestowal into Kedusha, meaning to have the ability to use them with the intention to bestow. 2) He asks that the Creator will give him the power to overcome the vessels of reception, too. This is considered that he can aim with the vessels of reception in order to bestow.

By this we should interpret what our sages said (presented in RASHI, VaYeshev), “We should also explain about it, ‘and [Jacob] sat,’ Jacob wanted to sit in peace; Joseph’s anger jumped on him. The righteous wish to sit in peace. The Creator said, ‘It is not enough for the righteous that they have what is set up for them in the next world; they also wish to sit in peace in this world.”

It is seemingly difficult to understand what they said, “The Creator said, ‘It is not enough for the righteous that they have what is set up for them in the next world; they also wish to sit in peace in this world.’” There is an explicit Mishnah (Avot, Chapter 6:4): “Such is the way of Torah: Toil in the Torah. If you do so, happy are you in this world and happy are you in the next world.” This means that there should be peace in this world, too.

We should interpret this in the work. It is known that Bina is called the “next world,” meaning a vessel of bestowal, since everything consists of two discernments: 1) what she receives, 2) what she gives. These are called “the quality of Malchut” and “the quality of Bina,” which are giving and receiving.

When a person begins the order of the work, he begins to sort out the best first. We begin to sort out and elicit the Kelim that are placed inside the vessels of reception, meaning that all the vessels—both of reception and of bestowal—fell during the breaking of the vessels into the Klipot [shells/peels], which are receivers, and in the terminology of Kabbalah, they are called Kelim de Panim [anterior vessels/vessels of the face] and Kelim de Achoraim [posterior vessels/vessels of the back].

For this reason, once the righteous have corrected for themselves the vessels of bestowal so as to have the intention to bestow, which is called “learning Torah Lishma [for Her sake],” this is regarded as “set up for them for the next world.” The righteous do not settle for this, but want to “sit in peace in this world,” namely that the vessels of reception, too, which are Kelim de Achoraim, called “Kelimof Malchut,” for Malchut is called “this world,” will also enter Kedusha, meaning that they will work in order to bestow.

This is the meaning of what he says, “Jacob wanted to sit in peace; Joseph’s anger jumped on him.” Joseph is called NHY, which are Kelim de Achoraim, the place of disclosure of Hochma, which are vessels of reception, regarded as “this world.” That is, the anger is that he still did not correct them so they will enter Kedusha. This is why he says, “It is not enough for the righteous,” etc.

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What Does It Mean that One Who Prays Should Explain His Words Properly?

Article No. 08, Tav-Shin-Mem-Het, 1987-88

The Zohar (VaYishlach [And Jacob Sent], Item 70) brings evidence that one who prays should explain his words properly through what is written about Jacob, who said, “Deliver me, I pray Thee.” It writes, “‘Deliver me, I pray Thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him, that he might come and strike me and the mothers with the children.’ This implies that one who prays his prayer should explain his words properly. He said, ‘Deliver me, I pray Thee.’ It seems as though it should have sufficed, since he does not need more than deliverance. Yet, he said to the Creator, ‘Should You say that You have already delivered me from Laban?’ This is why he explained, ‘from the hand of my brother.’ And if you say that other kin are called brothers, too, as Laban said to Jacob, ‘Because you are my brother, should you serve me for nothing?’ he therefore explained, ‘from the hand of Esau.’ What is the reason? It is because we must explain the matter properly. If you say, ‘Why do I need deliverance?’ It is because I fear that he might come and strike me. All of this is to explain the matter above, and not obscure it.”

It is very difficult to understand this. When a person prays to the Creator, who knows the thoughts of man, should we interpret our words properly, or He might not know what the person needs? Rather, we should interpret this with respect to man. That is, the person himself should know what he needs and scrutinize every single lack separately. A person should not say in general, that he is not okay and he would like the Creator to help him. The reason is that there is a rule: “There is no light without a Kli [vessel], no filling without a lack.” Hence, it is upon man to arrange for himself all the things he needs. That is, deliverance from Laban is not like deliverance from Esau, and so forth.

We can understand this the way Baal HaSulam said about what is written concerning Laban, who said to Jacob, “Laban replied to Jacob, ‘The daughters are my daughters, and the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine.’” Concerning Esau, when he spoke to Jacob, it is written that Esau said the opposite: “And he said, ‘What is this company of yours that I have met?’ And he said, ‘To find favor in the eyes of my lord.’ And Esau said, ‘I have plenty, my brother; let what is yours be yours.’ And Jacob said, ‘then take my present from my hand.’”

He said that sometimes the evil inclination dresses as Laban, who is righteous, and walks with a white garment. Sometimes it dresses as Esau, saying that man has already done everything completely, and there is nothing more to add, installing in him a spirit of pride. The order is that before the work, it tells him: “You should not get into the work Lishma [for Her sake], as this is difficult and no work for you. Rather, you, everything you do is for me, and you cannot aim anything for the sake of the Creator.” With these arguments, the evil inclination can prevent a person from engaging in Torah and Mitzvot [commandments/good deeds] in truth. This is before the work, and this is the meaning of what Laban said, “The daughters are my daughters.”

After the work, Jacob comes and tells him, “Now I see that you are right, meaning that all my thoughts were only for you,” meaning Lo Lishma [not for Her sake]. “Thus, now I must ask the Creator to give me repentance so I will have the strength to work for the sake of the Creator.” The evil inclination comes and dresses as Esau, from the word Assiya [doing/action], that “You really did everything for the sake of the Creator and you are a great righteous, and you are not like your friends.” Then Jacob told him, “then take my present from my hand,” meaning he said, “I have plenty,” meaning that all the work I did so far has been for you. But Esau told him, “Let what is yours be yours,” meaning you did not work for me.

Accordingly, we should explain why we need to interpret “When he prays, he should explain his words properly.” It means that the person himself should scrutinize the order of his work so he will clearly know what to pray for, since sometimes a person prays for the opposite of what he needs. The prayer is the disclosure of a lack within a person, for a lack is called a Kli [vessel], and there is no light without a Kli. Hence, a person should pray so as to have a Kli that the Creator will fill. If there is no Kli, it is impossible to speak of the Creator filling the lack.

This is similar to what we pray in the Beginning of the Month Prayer: “May the Lord grant our heart’s wishes favorably.” “Wishes” are Kelim [plural of Kli]. When there are Kelim, the Creator can fill the Kelim. We should understand what we are saying in this prayer of the blessing of the month, “May the Lord grant our heart’s wishes favorably.” What does it imply that we add the word “favorably”? Would one ask for the unfavorable?

We can understand this by what The Zohar says, “One who prays should explain his words properly,” as it is written, “Deliver me from the hand of my brother.” Laban is also called “my brother,” as it is written that Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my brother.” This is why he clarified, “from the hand of Esau.”

According to what Baal HaSulam explained, at times the evil inclination is called Laban, and at times it is called Esau. The difference between these names relates to before the fact and after the fact. Before the fact, it is called Laban. After the fact, it is called Esau.

By this we should interpret that when a person prays for the Creator to help him since he wants to do some good deed but feels that he does not have the power to overcome, he must not pray that the Creator will deliver him from Esau, meaning to think about how he does everything not for the sake of the Creator and that his work is worthless. He should ask the Creator to deliver him from Esau’s words, who says, “Your work is indeed worthy and highly regarded above, and your intention is not to work for me,” meaning for the evil inclination, which is now regarded as Esau.

Instead, he wants the Creator to help him feel that he is doing everything not for the sake of the Creator, and will see the truth—that his work is worthless. It follows that if he really feels that his work is worthless, what will he gain by receiving such help from the Creator? He will certainly not succeed in doing anything good, since a person cannot work for a lost cause. Rather, one must see some benefit from the work.

This is the meaning of what The Zohar says, that “he should explain his words properly.” It is because a person must know what he is missing so he can observe Torah and Mitzvot. For this reason, his prayer should be “Deliver me, I pray Thee, from the hand of Laban,” meaning from what Laban would make him see, that “All that you see is mine.” Laban claims that all he did was for his own sake, for the sake of the evil inclination, and his work is worthless.

At that time he prays that the Creator will give him the feeling, and that he will see that the Creator enjoys everything he does, and every little thing in spirituality is a very important matter, and we cannot appreciate its importance. Then he will have the strength to work because now he is working for a purpose, meaning that with his work, he will do a great thing for the entire world. It is as our sages said (Kidushin, p 40), “Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon, says, ‘Since the world is judged by its majority, and the individual is judged by its majority, if he performs one Mitzva[commandment/good deed], happy is he, for he has sentenced himself and the entire world to the side of merit.’”

When he has this feeling, he certainly gets energy for the work. But if he asks, “Deliver me from the hand of Esau,” it will be to his detriment. Since there is no light without a Kli, when a person prays, he should “explain his words properly.” What is “properly”? It means that his prayer should be suitable for reception because it is to his benefit.

However, after the fact, one should shift to the left line. That is, he should examine and see if the work was really in utter completeness, and check if he has more to correct so that through the Torah and Mitzvot he is doing, he will achieve Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator. At that time, the evil inclination dresses as Esau and tells him: “You have no flaw that anyone can point to, since everything you do is only for the Creator.” This is called Esau, from the word Assiya [action/doing]. That is, your work is called “complete work,” and there is nothing to add to it. At that time comes the prayer, “Deliver me from the hand of my brother, Esau, since I want to have the strength to examine and see what I really should correct.”

If, after the fact, he asks, “Deliver me from the argument of Laban,” who said that everything he did was not for the sake of the Creator, but for his own sake, which is the authority of the evil inclination, then he is controlled by Esau, meaning he is doing everything for the sake of the Creator. In that case, he would always remain with his flaws because Esau claims that he has nothing to correct and he is doing everything for the sake of the Creator. He would never be able to see the truth.

This is why The Zohar says that he should explain his words properly. That is, one should obtain the right Kli where the right help may enter, since “There is no light without a Kli.” With this we will understand what we asked, “What does it mean that we say that the Creator should grant our heart’s wishes favorably?” Would a person ask the Creator for something bad? Rather, it is that each prayer should be in its place.

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What Is the Importance of the Groom, that His Iniquities Are Forgiven?

Article No. 07, Tav-Shin-Mem-Het, 1987-88

Our sages said, “Three are forgiven their iniquities: A gentile who converted, one who becomes great, and one who marries a woman. From this we learn that this is why she is called Mahalat, since his iniquities Nimhalu [have been forgiven]. Conversely, in the portion VaYishlach, she is called Bosmat, daughter of Ishmael” (presented in RASHI, VaYishlach).

This verse requires explanation. Our sages tell us that forgiving the iniquities of the groom on his wedding day comes from Esau, who took the daughter of Ishmael, whose name was Bosmat, daughter of Ishmael. Since it is written in the portion Toldot, “Esau went to Ishmael, and took Mahalat the daughter of Ishmael,” it is an evidence that on his wedding day, the groom is forgiven his iniquities.

It follows that we learn this entire basis from wicked Esau, who took the daughter of wicked Ishmael. This is difficult to understand. After all, what is a wicked one? It is one who says that there are no sins in the world and he can do what his heart desires because a wicked one believes in nothing. Thus, the wicked one says that he never sins. Therefore, why does he need his iniquities forgiven? Is a person given that which he does not want? After all, there is no light without a Kli [vessel], no filling without a lack.

It is even more difficult to understand what is the real reason that he deserves absolution. What is his privilege? Is it because he took a wife that he deserves his iniquities forgiven? It makes sense that one who does a great deed, which we cannot appreciate the importance of the matter, then we understand that he deserves a great reward for this, to the point of absolving his iniquities. But what great thing did he do by taking a wife?

Also, we see that saying a litany is a great thing. There is the matter of thirteen qualities there, as well as kneeling. But if there is a groom in the synagogue, we do not say the litany. We should understand the importance of taking a wife, that all seven days of the “seven blessings,” it has the power to cancel a prayer, which is so important, because he took a woman, who is now called “a bride.”

There are many explanations in the literal, but we should interpret this in the work. What does it come to teach us? The wicked Esau is when a person has realized that the bad thing in the world, which prevents all created beings from achieving the delight and pleasure for which the world was created—which is the meaning of bad—has become in him as Esau, from the word Assiya [doing]. His evil has been completed with clear knowledge that it is the will to receive for himself. At that time comes the order of “turn away from evil,” meaning that before a person knows that the will to receive is called “bad,” it is impossible to turn away from it and not listen to it.

Afterward begins the matter of “and do good.” “Do good” means assuming the burden of the kingdom of heaven. However, a person cannot be rewarded with the quality of “a woman who fears God.” Rather, a person must receive this from above, as it is written, “He who comes to purify is aided.” The Zohar says that he is given a soul, and this is the assistance that the person receives.

It follows that this soul was born by the Creator hearing him when he came to purify. This soul is called a “daughter,” which was born out of the Creator hearing his prayer once a person has come to the recognition of evil, called Esau.

This is the meaning of what is written, “And Esau went and took Mahalat the daughter of Ishmael.” “Went” means to a higher degree, once he has come to the recognition of evil, called Esau, to Yishma-El [Ishmael, meaning “the Lord will hear”]. That is, at that time he engaged in the form of “do good,” praying to the Creator to hear his prayer and give him a soul, as it is said in The Zohar. This is the meaning of “He took Mahalat,” meaning he took the absolution of iniquities by which he was rewarded with a daughter from which the Creator heard his prayer. This is called “the daughter of Yishma-El.”

This follows a certain procession: 1) Exertion to see the truth, as much as he understands that the will to receive for himself is harming him. At that time he can determine once and for all not to use it, and this is called Esau. 2) Afterward, he is rewarded with taking a woman by forgiving the iniquities. At that time it is possible to be rewarded with it.

We can understand the meaning of a woman, which is the soul he is given from above, according to what is explained in the “Introduction to The Study of the Ten Sefirot” (Items 53-55): “Then the Creator helps him and one attains open Providence, meaning the revelation of the face. Then, he is rewarded with complete repentance, meaning he cleaves to the Creator once more with his heart, soul, and might, as though naturally drawn by the attainment of the open Providence. Naturally, one who is imparted this open Providence is certain that he will not sin again, as one is certain that he will not cut in his own flesh and cause himself terrible suffering. In addition, one is certain that he will not neglect a Mitzva [commandment/good deed] without performing it the instant it comes to his hand, as much as one is certain that he will not neglect any worldly pleasure or a great profit that comes into his hand.” This repentance is regarded as his iniquities being forgiven.

According to the rule that all the Mitzvot [commandments/good deeds] extend from branch and root—meaning that each Mitzva in corporeality has its root in spirituality—we can say that what extends from this is that in corporeality, too, when a man takes a woman, his iniquities are forgiven, which implies to spirituality.

Now we can interpret what our sages said, “How to dance before the bride?” and did not say, “How to dance before the groom?” Conversely, concerning the wedding meal, they said, “One who enjoys a groom’s meal and does not delight him (Berachot, p 6) transgresses in five voices: the voice of merriment and the voice of gladness, the voice of the groom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who say, ‘Thank!’” They did not say that we must delight the bride, and they did not say that there is a bride’s meal, but only a groom’s meal.

We find that on Jacob’s wedding, Laban made the meal, as it is written, “And Laban assembled all the men of the place and made a feast,” meaning that the meal came from the side of the bride, that the bride’s father made the meal and not Jacob, who was the groom.

According to what Baal HaSulam explained—that “groom” means Torah, and “bride” means faith—we should interpret what we asked. Until a person acquires permanent faith, he has ascents and descents, since a person is born with a vessel of reception, and that vessel wants to engage in things that the mind says are worthwhile to engage in, meaning they will benefit the will to receive for himself. Otherwise, he cannot work.

Also, since faith is above reason, meaning that the reason cannot stand them, there is a matter of ups and downs here. This is called a “dance,” since we see that when dancing, we lift our legs and bring them back down repeatedly. This implies that since Raglaim [legs] comes from the word Meraglim [spying], meaning that when one should take upon himself the burden of the kingdom of heaven and serve Him only Lishma [for Her sake], the person’s intellect immediately comes and makes him see that he should not be rash, but first see if it is worthwhile to serve the Creator not in order to receive reward.

Therefore, when lifting the legs, meaning when we go above our reason and intellect, it is regarded as lifting our legs above the earth. However, a person cannot always overcome and go above reason, and this is considered placing one’s feet on the ground once more. This is the meaning of what he says, “How to dance before the bride?” (Ketubot 16b). “Before the bride” means during the ascent, called Panim [face/anterior]. What should he say about the bride? What is the merit that he has found in faith, meaning what did he see in it that we should say that this is why he took upon himself the burden of faith?

Beit Shammai [House of Shammai] say, “A bride, the way she is,” meaning that according to how he feels her importance, so he takes upon himself the faith. That is, he does not need to find any merit in her. Even if he feels no importance about her, he takes upon himself what we were told to believe, and this is all of our merit—if we can take upon ourselves this work, which we believe is the Creator’s will, and we need not look for any merits, but simply believe and take upon ourselves by coercion, “as an ox to the burden and as a donkey to the load.”

Beit Hillel [House of Hillel] say, “A bride, fair and pious.” We should interpret that this means that a person should say about what he sees, “They have eyes and do not see.” And considering what he hears, he should say, “They have ears and do not hear.” That is, seeing is not necessarily with the eyes, but there is seeing in the mind. That is, the mind shows him depictions that contradict faith, and he often hears what the mind makes him see—that work for the sake of the Creator is not for him. He should overcome all this and say, “They have eyes and do not see.” That is, what the mind tells him and makes him see is not the truth. This is called “They have eyes and do not see” the truth; “they have ears and do not hear” the truth. Therefore, their thoughts, meaning what the will to receive for himself tells him, is not the truth. Rather, he should tell himself that indeed, she is a fair and pious bride, except he is unfit to see the truth right now.

Yet, the truth is that all the delight and pleasure that the will to receive can receive in his Kelim[vessels] is but a slim light compared to the light that dresses in the vessels of bestowal. This is called “a fair bride.” Yet, a person cannot always overcome his mind and reason. This is why there is the matter of dances in faith, of which our sages said, “How to dance before the bride.” That is, what can we say to the Panim [face/anterior] of the bride, since Panim pertains to “a man’s wisdom illuminates his face.” Thus, he should say what is the praise that there is in the bride, called “faith.” This is the difference between Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel, whether to say, “a bride, the way she is” or “a bride, fair and pious.”

This is not so with the groom. The Creator is called “Torah,” and Torah is considered a gift. There, there is no dancing because when a person receives a gift, it cannot be said that he has a descent, meaning that he does not want to receive gifts. Only where there is labor and a person must overcome against the reason, it can be said that at times he can overcome and at times he cannot. Conversely, when receiving gifts, how can it be said that he has no need for gifts? This is why they did not say, “How to dance before the groom?” but “How to dance before the bride?”

Conversely, considering a meal, it is written, “One who enjoys a groom’s meal,” and it is not written, “One who enjoys a bride’s meal.” The reason is that a groom is regarded as the Torah, and the Torah is a gift, as our sages said, “From Matanah [gift] to Nahaliel” (Iruvin 54), where it writes, “Why is it written, ‘And from the desert to Matanah, and from Matanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamot, and from Bamot to the valley’? He said to him, ‘If a man makes himself like this desert, which everyone treads, the Torah was given to him as a gift. And since it was given to him as a gift, he inherits God, as was said, ‘From Matanah to Nahaliel [rivers of God].’”

It is known that the Creator has many names, according to what He reveals to the lower ones. That is, it depends on the extent to which He bestows upon the lower ones. That is, according to the merit of the lower ones, He bestows abundance upon them. And since there are many discernments in the receivers, as it is written, “As their faces are not similar to one another, their views are not similar to one another,” and as we learn in the work, that a person himself also undergoes changing states, therefore, the abundance of the Creator changes into many discernments, but the Creator has no name, since “there is no thought or perception in Him whatsoever.” Rather, it is as it is written, “By Your actions we know You.” That is, according to the abundance He bestows, so we name Him.

For this reason, with regard to the Torah, the Creator is called “groom.” When He bestows faith, He is called “bride.” With respect to the purpose of creation, which is His will to do good to His creations, for the whole world to enjoy, meaning enjoy in the way that is called “His desire to do good,” meaning that He sustains the Klipot [shells/peels], as well, or they would not be able to exist in the world. This is as The Zohar says, that they have but a slim light. But in Torah and Mitzvot, the light is clothed there by way of “The whole Torah is the names of the Creator,” whose general name is The Good Who Does Good.

According to the above, the Creator is called “groom” because He is the Giver and bestows upon the lower ones. The creatures’ enjoyment from the joy He gives them, and as was said that what the whole world enjoys comes from Him, all the pleasures are called “meal.” It follows that the whole world is enjoying the King’s meal.

However, there is a difference from the perspective of the lower ones. There are lower ones who believe that this is a meal that comes from the King. And there are secular people, who do not believe that the meal comes from the Creator, who is called “the King.” With regard to his being the Giver, He is called “a groom.” This is as our sages said, “One who enjoys a groom’s meal and does not delight him transgresses in five voices.” That is, although they believe that the meal is a groom’s meal and thank him for their pleasure, there is still a higher level, meaning that by enjoying, they should delight the King.

According to the above, that the Creator is called “groom,” how can we speak of delighting the Creator? It is known that joy comes as a result of something. When a person obtains something new that he yearned for and received, it engenders joy in a person. But what can we say that the Creator is missing, that if He received it, He would be happy?

The Zohar says ( VaYera, Item 399), “There was no joy before the Creator since the day the world was created like the joy He is destined to have with the righteous in the future.” We should also understand this verse. How can it be said that the Creator receives delight. As we learn, the purpose of creation is to do good to His creations. It follows that when the lower ones receive the delight and pleasure that He has prepared for them, He derives pleasure from this, as it is known from the allegory about the king who has a tower filled with abundance but no guests.

Therefore, we attribute the meal to the Creator as a groom, that He is regarded as the Torah, a gift, Nahaliel [rivers of God]. When the creatures receive the delight and pleasure, called “meal,” they must receive everything in order to bestow and not because of self-reception. This is the meaning of what our sages said, “One who enjoys a groom’s meal and does not delight him,” but receives for his own sake, “transgresses in five voices.” The five voices imply the completeness of the degree that must be revealed to the creatures. That is, His will to do good to His creations is revealed in five discernments, called “five parts of the soul,” which are Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama, Haya, and Yechida.

This is why our sages said, “One who enjoys a groom’s meal and does not delight him,” meaning his intention in enjoying the meal is not to please the Creator, in that the purpose of creation is achieved in its complete correction, but rather his own benefit, then he causes five voices, meaning the NRNHYthat should be revealed, to move away from him, since there was a Tzimtzum [restriction] on the vessels of reception for himself. Thus, the light does not extend to that place, and that place requires correction in order to bestow. Yet, he does not regard it, and therefore causes the abundance not to reach the lower ones.

It therefore follows that our sages warn us that we must prepare ourselves with much work and labor to 1) Believe that any pleasure we receive in the world is regarded as the King’s meal. However, we must believe this. And because of it, our sages have set up a specific blessing for each and every pleasure: a blessing for the prayer, a blessing for the Torah, and also for corporeal pleasures. 2) We must try to receive any pleasure that we receive from the King’s meal in order to bestow, and not for our own sake.

Conversely, when the Creator bestows upon the lower ones as a “bride,” which is faith, it is still not regarded as a meal, but rather there are ups and down there. This is why there are dances there.

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What Is the Difference between a Field and a Man of the Field, in the Work?

Article No. 06, Tav-Shin-Mem-Het, 1987-88

It is written in The Zohar (Toldot), “‘And Isaac loved Esau because he had game in his mouth.’ He wrote here, ‘a skillful hunter, a man of the field,’ and it is written there, ‘He was a mighty hunter.’ As there, it means that was hunting people’s minds and misleading them into rebelling against the Creator, so here, ‘a man of the field’ means in order to rob people and to kill them. He is a man of the field because his inheritance is not in an inhabited place, but in a desolate place, in the desert, in the field. For this reason, he is called ‘a man of the field.’”

Concerning Isaac, we also see that it is written “field,” as it is written (Genesis 24:63), “And Isaac went out to wander in the field.” Also, it is written about Jacob, “And he said, ‘Behold, the scent of my son is as the scent of a field that the Lord has blessed.’”

We should understand the difference between the fields, where it was said about Esau, who is called “a man of the field,” that The Zohar interprets “to rob people and to kill them,” whereas concerning Isaac, it is written, “to wander in the field,” which is a great thing, as our sages said that Isaac established the afternoon prayer because of the verse, “And Isaac went out to wander in the field.” We should also understand why it is written about Jacob that Isaac said, “The scent of my son is as the scent of a field that the Lord has blessed.” Therefore, we should understand the differences between “a man of the field,” “to wander in the field,” and “the scent of a field.”

It is known that Malchut is called a “field.” Since Malchut has many changes because of the Tzimtzum[restriction], Malchut has many names, one of which is a “field.” When we speak of Malchut, the rule is that we speak of Malchut of Ohr Yashar [Direct Light], where she was using the will to receive for herself. In that respect, there are no changes in her but is as the Emanator created the will to receive in order to receive the delight and pleasure that He wished to impart upon the creatures. This is called Malchut with respect to the Ohr Yashar in her.

For this reason, this Malchut is called Ein Sof [infinity/no end], for Malchut did not put a stop on the upper light, meaning she did not say, “No more!” I do not want to receive with my self, called “receiving in order to receive.” While she was receiving with her self, there were no changes, which is why it is called by the name, “Everything was one light.”

However, afterward, Malchut desired equivalence of form, called “decoration,” at the point of desire. That is, she did not want to receive in order to receive, but in order to bestow. In that respect, we can call Malchut by the name “field,” meaning that the field must be plowed, and plowing means inverting that which is below and placing it above, and that which is above, we place below.

Likewise, here in Malchut, who is called a “field,” for the will to receive, reception is important and is considered “of superior importance,” while matters of bestowal are of inferior importance. In Kedusha[sanctity/holiness], there is the matter of plowing, that we must till the land, meaning turn the will to receive, which is on top, to be below, and the will to bestow to be on top. Specifically by this can we yield crops that are good to eat. Otherwise, there is no way we will be able to eat food of Kedusha, as it is written (Proverbs 14:4), “Much crop comes by the strength of the ox.” That is, the force of the ox yields much crop.

The meaning of “ox” is as our sages said, that Malchut [kingdom] of heaven must be as an ox to the burden and as an ass to the load.” Baal HaSulam said that “an ox to the burden” means that the burden of faith must be as one places the yoke on the ox so as to plow the field, without any consideration of its will, if it agrees with it. Instead, we place the yoke on it against its will. Likewise, man must take upon himself the burden of the kingdom of heaven, since an ox means knowing, as it is written, “The ox knows its master.” For this reason, faith is regarded as a burden to one who needs knowledge.

It therefore follows that a field is Malchut with respect to self-reception, which requires plowing, which is the correction of the field to turn the vessel of reception, which is of high importance, and make it low importance, while the vessels of bestowal, which are of low importance, raise them so as to be of high importance.

It is known that the will to receive is in mind and heart, and both require correction. In the mind, the correction is faith above reason. In the heart, the correction is that every pleasure he receives will be in order to bestow. And more precisely, every act he does will be in order to bestow; otherwise, he will not make a single move.

Accordingly, we can interpret why it is written about Esau, “a man of the field,” meaning that while he is in a state of “field,” and must assume the burden of the kingdom of heaven as an ox to the burden, he thinks he is complete and does not need any corrections. This is called “for he had game in his mouth.” This is as it is written in The Zohar (above), “And Esau said that he was in the field in order to pray, and he hunted and deceived Isaac with his mouth.”

In the work, we should interpret that “he had game in his mouth” means that his mouth and heart were not the same. His mouth is externality, meaning that in actions, he was righteous, because there is nothing to add to actions, but in his heart, meaning the intention, he was not as the act. The act that is apparent to people implies that he wants to observe the commandments of the Creator in order to please Him by doing His will in observing the Mitzvot [commandments/good deeds]. But in his heart, he thinks only about his own benefit and not about the benefit of the Creator. Thus, his mouth and heart are not the same.

Therefore, in action, Esau appeared complete, like a completed person. This is the meaning of “Esau was a man of the field,” meaning that he had no more work to do in the field, since the work of the field begins with plowing, which is about inverting the vessels of reception. This is not for him because it is enough for him to keep everything in externality, which is called “his mouth,” meaning that his mouth and heart are not the same. This is why Esau is called “a man of the field,” meaning that a field is receiving for oneself, and in this he is complete and has nothing more to add.

This is not so with Isaac and Jacob. To them, the work of the field was labor and prayer in the field, as it is written about Isaac, “And Isaac went out to wander in the field,” which is prayer. It is as our sages said, that Isaac established the afternoon prayer, when he prayed to raise the Shechina[Divinity] from the dust, meaning that the vessel of bestowal, which should be in the kingdom of heaven in mind and heart, will be in order to bestow.

However, Esau, who was a man of the field, corrected nothing so as to work in order to bestow. Rather, with him, everything was only for his own sake. This is why The Zohar interpreted “‘a man of the field,’ to rob people and to kill them.” The Zohar also interprets “a man of the field,” since his inheritance is not in an inhabited place, but in a desolate place, in the desert, in the field. This is why he is called “a man of the field.”

When one works only for oneself, that state is regarded as stealing the aspect of man that is in him, meaning the aspect of “You are called ‘man,’ and the nations of the world are not called ‘man.’” That aspect is robbed from him when he works for his own benefit.

Even worse, because transgression induces transgression, he kills the man when he is for himself. This is the meaning of the words of The Zohar, “And to kill them.” It says about it, “Because his inheritance is not in an inhabited place,” where “an inhabited place” is where people dwell, as in “You are called ‘men,’” “but in a desolate place,” the place of the breaking of the vessels, for because the will to receive for himself was revealed there, the world became desolate.

However, it is written about Jacob, “And he said, ‘Behold, the scent of my son is as the scent of a field that the Lord has blessed,’” since Jacob established the evening prayer, as it is written, “And he came to a place,” meaning he established the evening prayer. It is also written about Jacob, “And behold, a well in the field, and three flocks of sheep lying there beside it.” The Zohar interprets (VaYetze, Item 92), “‘And he looked, and behold a well in the field.’ He saw the well of above, which is the Nukva, one opposite the other, meaning that the well of below was directed opposite the well of above.”

We should interpret that when Jacob established the well of below, his intention was his own well, which is the field, meaning that he established it to be as above. That is, as above, Malchut of Kedusha is a Masach [screen], meaning that on the will to receive for himself, there is a Masach that raises Ohr Hozer [Reflected Light], meaning that everything she wants to receive is because she wants to bestow. Likewise, he established himself so that all his actions would be in order to bestow.

Hence, when Jacob came to Isaac, since Jacob is the middle line, where all the wholeness appears, this is why it is written that Isaac said, “And he said, ‘Behold, the scent of my son is as the scent of a field that the Lord has blessed.’” That is, when the kingdom of heaven, called a “field,” received the correction of the middle line, it is called “a field that the Lord has blessed,” meaning that here appear the delight and pleasure that the Creator has prepared for the creatures. This is the difference between “a man of the field,” “wander in the field,” and “as the scent of a field.”

Inapoi la pagina 1988 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Inapoi la pagina 1988 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

What Is, “When Israel Are in Exile, the Shechina Is With Them,” in the Work?

Article No. 05, Tav-Shin-Mem-Het, 1987-88

It is written in the Megillah (p 29): “Tania Rabbi Shimon Ben Yochai says, ‘Come and see how fond is the Creator of Israel; wherever they exile, the Shechina [Divinity] is with them, as was said, ‘And the Lord your God returned from your captivity.’ It did not say, ‘will return,’ but rather ‘returned,’ showing that the Creator returns with them from the exiles.’”

We should understand in the work, 1) What it gives us in the work if the Shechina, too, is in exile. That is, what is the benefit from the Shechina being in exile, as it is written, “Israel are beloved by the Creator,” in that the Shechina, too, is in exile. Thus, we should understand what this adds to us in the work. In other words, What is the correction that we find in the Shechina, too, being in exile?

2) What does it mean that our sages said, “It is the sorrow of the Shechina that she is in exile”? Our sages also said, “A person should be sorry for the sorrow of the Shechina.” How can it be said that there is sorrow above, that we must ask the Creator to raise the Shechina from the dust, meaning that we should ask the Creator to pick her up from the dust?

3) What does it mean in the work to understand that the Shechina is in the dust, that she herself cannot rise up by herself, but needs the Creator to raise her?

4) In order for the Creator to raise her, we must pray for this. It is as though without our prayer, the Creator cannot raise her from the dust.

To understand all these we first need to understand which discernment we call the Creator, and which discernment we called Shechina. Baal HaSulam said a commentary about what is written in The Zohar: “He is the Shochen [dweller in male form] and she is the Shechina [where the dweller dwells].” We should know that the many discernments we make in upper worlds are only from the perspective of the receivers. But from the perspective of the Creator, it is written, “I the Lord do not change.” Therefore, all the worlds are discerned by two discernments: 1) The Creator, who is the Shochen. He is called “light,” “bestower,” “giver,” and “reviver.”

2) The place where the Creator is revealed, meaning the place where we feel Him and attain Him according to the value of the Kli [vessel] that has equivalence of form. This correction emerged after the Tzimtzum [restriction]. Accordingly, he said that the place where the Shochen is revealed is called Shechina. Thus, they are not two things but are light and Kli. The light is called Shochen, and the Kliwhere the light is clothed is called Shechina.

According to his words, we should interpret the whole work we have ahead of us concerning the correction of creation, that it is only the correction of the Kelim [vessels], meaning how the upper abundance that He wants to impart upon His creatures, so the Kelim are suitable to receive the abundance and the abundance will not go to the outer ones. This is our only work, and nothing more.

It follows that the Shochen wants to be revealed, meaning that the delight and pleasure will be revealed to the creatures. To the emanator, we attribute only bestowing and giving, as this was the purpose of creation.

However, from the perspective of the lower ones, for the Kli where the delight and pleasure should be revealed, since she desired equivalence of form with the root, namely to be a giver like the root, she said that she does not want to receive in order to receive, and on this she placed a Tzimtzum.

Only when there is an ability to aim to bestow, the Kli will receive the delight and pleasure. This was done in the upper worlds, which are regarded as the roots of the souls, meaning that the souls, too, will receive the abundance only under such conditions that are called “in order to bestow.” This causes a delay that the delight and pleasure cannot be revealed until the lower ones are fit to receive the abundance.

It therefore follows that if the lower ones do not give the place where the Shochen must be revealed, since they haven’t the strength to place the aim on the gift that the Shochen will give so the reception will be in order to bestow, this is called “the sorrow of the Shechina.” That is, it is that the Creator cannot impart the delight and pleasure as He wishes, for His desire is to do good to His creations.

It follows that the sorrow of the Shechina means that the Creator regrets being unable to reveal the delight and pleasure because the creatures cannot give the place that is suitable to receive, for if He gives them the delight and pleasure, it will all go to the Sitra Achra [other side]. Therefore, it follows that He cannot impart the delight as He wishes.

By this we will understand that a person should be sorry for the sorrow of the Shechina. We asked, Why does the Creator not raise her from the dust, but must instead ask the lower ones to aim that their actions—meaning what they do—will be only with the intention to “raise the Shechina from the dust”?

The answer is that all that the Creator gives is delight and pleasure, for His purpose of to do good to His creations. But to raise the Shechina from the dust, meaning for the Creator to be able to give the abundance without the abundance going to the Sitra Achra, this can be only when the lower ones do not want to receive for their own benefit, but only in order to bestow.

Yet, this pertains to man’s work, and not to the Creator. What pertains to the Creator is giving, but not giving does not pertain to the Creator but to the creatures. In other words, the creatures do not want to receive for themselves unless it is in order to bestow. It is as our sages said, “Everything is in the hands of heaven except for the fear of heaven.”

Baal HaSulam interpreted that the Creator gives everything. Everything means that every good that is given, the Creator gives it, and “fear of heaven,” which is not to receive for oneself, is all that man must do. Therefore, it is upon man to correct himself so the Creator may give the delight and pleasure.

Thus, the question is, What is the benefit from man’s work for the Creator? What does the Creator need that we should work for the sake of the Creator, which the Creator receives from man’s work? We can say that it is only one thing: a place where He can impart the delight and pleasure that He wished to impart at the time of the creation of the world, namely to do good to His creations.

Therefore, when we say “the sorrow of the Shechina,” we mean that the Creator cannot reveal to them the delight and pleasure. It turns out that there is seemingly sorrow for His inability to do good to the created beings. This is called “the sorrow of the Shechina,” sorrow that He cannot bestow impart upon the Kelim, as we said that the Kelim are called Shechina, where the Shochen is present.

The reason we should aim all our actions toward the sorrow of the Shechina is that we should achieve equivalence of form, called “in order to bestow and not to receive for our own sake.” The rule is that a person cannot work aimlessly. Therefore, a person must see before him what he wants from his effort, meaning what he wants to obtain in life, so he will know that if he obtains it, he will be the happiest man in the world.

Therefore, he is told that nothing is greater or more important than satisfying the Creator’s wish and not the will to receive for himself. At that time a person should know what is missing in the King’s palace, the lack that he can fill. That is, what can be said that causes the Creator sorrow, that He misses, and that if He is given it, He will be happy.

To this comes the answer that a person should be sorry for the sorrow of the Shechina, meaning that the Creator is seemingly sorry that He cannot impart delight and pleasure upon the creatures, as in the allegory in the Midrash, which says that it is similar to a king who has a tower filled abundantly but no guests.

To understand the allegory of the Midrash, we can use allegory about a person who held a wedding for his son, and invited food for five hundred guests, but for some reason, no one came and he could barely get a Minyan [ten people] for the Huppah [wedding ceremony]. What sorrow that person felt that he had food for five hundred people but they did not come.

It is on this reason that a person needs to work to be rewarded with bringing contentment to the Creator—by receiving from Him the delight and pleasure. A person who achieves this degree is the happiest person in the world.

But if a person observes Torah and Mitzvot [commandments] in order for the Creator to give abundance into his vessels of reception because he wants to delight himself, that person is far from the abundance, since the upper abundance can only come into vessels of bestowal. Hence, the reason he observes Torah and Mitzvot must be because by this he will be among those who want to please the Creator, as in the allegory.

Yet, since man is born with a Kli for self-reception, how can he change his nature and say that he is not concerned with himself in any way, and the only thing that pains him, and for which he is sorry, is the sorrow of the Shechina, meaning the sorrow that seemingly exists above because he is unable to satisfy His will.

That is, since He desires to do good but He cannot execute this benefit because the creatures haven’t the suitable Kelim to receive it, and since by observing Torah and Mitzvot he will be able to make suitable Kelim, as our sages said, “I have created the evil inclination; I have created the Torah as a spice,” this is why he works with all his might to observe Torah and Mitzvot, so that by observing Torah and Mitzvot he will emerge from self-love and will be rewarded with vessels of bestowal. Then, he will be able to bring contentment to the Maker, from whom he receives the delight and pleasure.

By this we will understand the second question, How can it be said that there is sorrow and lack above? The answer is that it is because He wants to give abundance to the created beings, yet the creatures cannot receive due to disparity of form. His inability to give to the place where the Shochenmust be revealed, which is called Shechina, this is called “the sorrow of the Shechina,” meaning sorrow that there cannot be a place where the Shochen can be, for Shechina is called the Kli where the light is revealed.

Accordingly, we can understand the third question we asked, What does it mean in the work that the Shechina is placed in the dust, and that the Creator needs that only the creatures can raise her from the dust, as though He Himself cannot?

We should interpret that since the place where the Shochen can be revealed is when there is a Kliwith the intention to bestow, and among the creatures, who were born with the will to receive for themselves, the place for bestowal is called “the taste of dust,” since it is against their nature, hence, each time they want to work with an intention to bestow, they feel in this the taste of dust, since bestowal goes against nature. Hence, the creatures must perform deeds and actions that can correct the place so it is fit to receive the delight and pleasure.

Therefore, when speaking of the correction of the Kelim, the lower one must correct itself to be able to receive. And according to the rule, each one must see that he is fine and that he can do what he should do. Hence, what the giver should do pertains to the giver, and what the receiver should do pertains to the receiver. That is, the receiver should try to have suitable Kelim, meaning that the Klipot will not take from him what he will receive. In other words, the receiver should try to be able to have the aim to bestow while receiving, or the upper light will not be able to reach those Kelim due to disparity of form. For this reason, the lower one must erect the quality of bestowal in order to receive the bestowal from above.

Now we can understand what we asked, What is the benefit in what our sages said, “When Israel are exiled, the Shechina is with them,” in the work? Our sages said (Tanhuma, Nitzavim 1), “When torments come upon Israel, they surrender and pray. But the nations of the world kick them and do not mention the name of the Creator.”

We should interpret this in the work. In the work, suffering is when a person comes into a state of descent, and suffers from having no flavor or vitality in Torah and Mitzvot, and the whole world grows dark on him, and he finds no peace of mind.

He begins to look into the past, meaning what is the reason that he has come to a state of lowliness and cannot find anything to which to attribute this descent. Moreover, it is hard for him to understand how come before he began the work of bestowal, he felt that he was in a world that was all good, and it was great work for him to observe what our sages said, “Be very, very humble.”

But now he sees that he is the worst in the world. He sees that the whole world lives and enjoys engaging in Torah and Mitzvot, and when they pray, they feel that each word they utter leaves an impression above. And because they believe that it leaves an impression above, this leaves an impression below. That is, each one feels in his heart that today he did a great thing by praying or by learning Torah, and he continues similarly each and every day.

Yet, he sees himself as the worst in the world because the whole world has grown dark on him. That is, the sun that shines to the world does not shine for him and he does not see that he has a right to exist in the world.

At that time, a person faces a dilemma: He can say that he is regarded as Israel. He believes in the Creator, that everything is under His Providence. That is, the situation he is in now, the Creator who sent him this descent. His suffering at being in a state of lowliness comes from Him, meaning that certainly, the Creator wanted him to ascend in degree and not remain in a state where all his work is for his own sake, for by this he becomes separated from Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator.

Instead, the Creator wants him to see his real state, how remote he is from working for the benefit of the Creator. For this reason, the Creator has taken from him the flavor he felt in LoLishma [not for Her sake], which leaves him lifeless. It follows that the Creator is tending to him and wants to admit him into Kedusha.

Therefore, now he must pray to the Creator to help him, since now he needs His help. Otherwise, he sees that he is completely lost. This is regarded as having obtained a Kli and a need for the Creator’s help, since now he sees that he is truly separated from the Creator because he has no life, for one who adheres to the Creator has life, as it is written, “For with You is the source of life.”

Now he can certainly pray from the bottom of the heart, for a real prayer is specifically from the bottom of the heart. Accordingly, he should be thankful to the Creator for letting him see his true state. Now he sees that he needs the Creator to give him the necessary assistance, as our sages said, “He who comes to purify is aided.” And The Zohar asks, “With what is he aided?” and it replies, “With a holy soul.”

Therefore, now the Creator has given him an opportunity to obtain a holy soul. He should be delighted about the state of descent and suffering that he feels in this state. For this reason, he should say that he is not in a state of descent, but on the contrary, he is in a state of ascent.

By this we can interpret what our sages said, “When torments come upon Israel, they surrender and pray.” This means that when they come into a state of descent, they see their true state, that they are in lowliness. This is considered that they surrender, since they see their state—that they have parted from the Life of Lives, for one who has Dvekut with the Creator is alive. Otherwise, he feels only suffering. Therefore, it is clear to him that now is the time for prayer from the bottom of the heart. This is the meaning of the words, “They surrender and pray.”

But it could be said to the contrary—that it is an argument that belongs to “the nations of the world” and not to “Israel.” That is, he does not believe that the Creator has sent him this state—that he sees that he is in a state of descent and feels that now he has no taste in Torah and Mitzvot, but that he is in a state of suffering and generally has no meaning in life and he “ponders the beginning,” meaning he regrets he put himself into the path of bestowal.

That is, he says that before he began the work of bestowal, he had joy from the work of engaging in Torah and prayer and observing the Mitzvot. At that time he knew that he did not have to make any calculations and his only concerns were about increasing the quantity, meaning to dedicate more time for prayer and Torah. As for the quality of the work, he had no need to pay attention and think about the goal for which he was doing the holy work. He relied on the general public because at the time, it did not occur to him that there was a need to think about the reason that compels him to engage in Torah and Mitzvot. For this reason, he always felt in complete wholeness.

But now that he has begun to ponder the reason for which he wants to observe Torah and Mitzvotand to engage for the sake of the Creator—in order to bestow and not in order to receive for himself—the work has become more difficult for him and it is more difficult for him to overcome his evil inclination.

He says that where he wants to walk on the path of truth, it makes sense that the evil inclination should yield and weaken. Yet, now it is the complete opposite: Everything in Kedusha that he wants to do in order to bestow, the evil inclination overpowers him and it is difficult for him to overcome. He asks, “Where is the justice?” From all the work of having to constantly overcome, he falls into a descent.

At that time he comes to the argument of the spies and says, “I’m fed up with this work,” and he escapes the campaign. He argues that where he should have progressed, he is regressing. Therefore, he “ponders the beginning” and kicks this path of having to work on the intentions and the actions are not enough, but the intention is what counts, as it is written, “Better a little bit with intention than a lot without an intention.” He says that this work is not for him.

Now we can interpret what our sages said, “But the nations of the world,” when suffering come upon them, “kick them and do not mention the name of the Creator.” This means that when suffering comes upon him, meaning when he suffers during the descent because he feels no flavor or vitality in Torah and work, and the suffering is so intense that the whole world grows dark because of them, and he finds no other solution but to escape the campaign, this is considered that they “kick them.”

We should know that this escape comes for only one reason, as it is written, “But the nations of the world kick them and do not mention the name of the Creator.” That is, in a state of descent, when he feels suffering, they “do not mention the name of the Creator,” saying that the Creator has sent him this state of descent so as to know his situation in complete clarity, to what extent he can work for the sake of the Creator, and to feel that now he sees that without His help, it is impossible to emerge from the control of reception for oneself.

Now he does not need to believe the words of our sages, who said, “Man’s inclination overcomes him every day, and if the Creator did not help him, he would not overcome it,” for now he sees that he needs assistance from above. So, now is the time when he can pray from the bottom of the heart, for a real prayer is specifically from the bottom of the heart. That is, he prays with all his heart, for the heart understands that without assistance from above, he is lost.

In the book A Sage’s Fruit (Vol. 1, p 301), Baal HaSulam interprets the matter of the prayer having to be from the bottom of the heart: “There is no happier situation in man’s world than when he finds himself despaired with his own strength. That is, he has already labored and done all that he could possibly imagine he could do, but found no remedy. It is then that he is fit for a wholehearted prayer for His help because he knows for certain that his own work will not help him. As long as he feels some strength of his own, his prayer will not be whole because the evil inclination rushes first and tells him, ‘First you must do what you can, and then you will be worthy of the Creator.’”

We should interpret what he says, that “the evil inclination rushes first and tells him, ‘First you must do what you can, and then you will be worthy of the Creator.’” Ostensibly, it speaks like a righteous man. Why is this regarded as the evil inclination speaking to him? The answer is that the evil inclination tells him good things, but what it means by those good words is that he does not need to pray to the Creator, that he still has time to ask of the Creator. Therefore, when he has done everything he could, the evil inclination can no longer come to him arguing that he still has time to pray to the Creator, for then a person immediately replies to the evil inclination, “There is nothing more that I can do that I haven’t done, and it did not help.” Therefore, now is the best time to pray to the Creator.

However, when a person has done what he could and the evil inclination has no more words to say to a person that he still has time to pray, since there is still more to do, since he has already done everything he could, then the evil inclination has other, worse words, with more poison and the potion of death.

These are that they “do not mention the name of the Creator.” In other words, he does not say that the Creator sent him the state of suffering he feels during the descent. Instead, what does he do during the descent? It is written, “But the nations of the world,” during the descent, when they feel suffering, “kick them.” That is, they leave the campaign and escape from the work of bestowal.

Now we can understand the question we asked, What is the meaning of “When Israel are in exile, the Shechina is with them”? As Rabbi Shimon Ben Yochai said, “Wherever they exile, the Shechina is with them.” What is the benefit from this in the work, that he says about it, “How beloved are Israel by the Creator”?

We should interpret that when a person feels that he is in exile, meaning feels the taste of exile in the work and wants to escape from the exile, the meaning will be that a person must believe that wherever they are exiled, the Shechina is with them. That is, the Shechina let him feel the taste of exile. “With them” means that the Shechina is attached to them and they are not separated from the Shechina, that they should say that it is a descent. On the contrary, now the Shechina is giving him a push so he will climb the degrees of Kedusha [holiness/sanctity], and dresses herself in a garment of descent.

When a person knows and believes that this is so, it will encourage him so he does not escape the campaign or say that the work of bestowal is not for him because he always sees that he is in states of ascents and descents, and he sees no end to these states and falls into despair.

But if he walks in the path of faith and believes in the words of our sage, then he must say the opposite. If the order of the work of the rest of the people is proper, meaning that they feel themselves as whole and see that thank God, they are observing Mitzvot, pray, and learn Torah, and what else do they need, it means that they do not have from above special treatment every step of the way, or are told if their work is proper or not.

This is similar to people learning in a seminary. Assume there are a hundred people in the seminary, and some town needs a rabbi. The town’s people send a request to the principal of the seminary to send them a rabbi. Then, the principal chooses a team that will test which of the students can be a rabbi there. From among the one hundred students in the seminary, the best ones are chosen. Assume that five students are selected and tested. The test contains questions that they must answer. However, they need not to answer all the questions. Rather, if they answer ninety percent, they are already considered worthy of being among the select elite of the people. But some answer less than ninety. Can it be said that those students in the seminary that are tested in Torah and wisdom are ordinary people, while the ninety-nine percent of the students in the seminary who are not tested, are they fine in Torah and wisdom, and because they are greater, they do not need to be tested?

Likewise, here in the order of the work, there is a rule. Let us say, for example, that ninety-nine percent of the workers of the Creator are not tested to see if they are fine. That is, they are not shown their situation, whether they are fine in their Torah and work. If they are not tested, certainly, everyone thinks that he is fine.

But let us say that those five percent who can achieve wholeness and be admitted into the King’s palace, these people are tested. They are shown from above their true state in Torah and Mitzvot so they may know what to correct. The corrections are called “faith,” “prayer,” and “labor.”

This is similar to what Baal HaSulam said about the verse, “And he said, ‘I beseech You, please show me Your glory … And the Lord said, ‘Behold, here is a place with Me.’” Our sage said, “‘with Me’ is an acronym [in Hebrew] for ‘faith,’ ‘prayer,’ and ‘labor.’ Through these corrections it is possible to achieve real wholeness.”

Accordingly, we can see what is the real way in Torah and Mitzvot. The way is to achieve Dvekut with the Creator, called “equivalence of form,” by which we are rewarded with life, as it is written, “For with You is the source of life.” Also, ascents and descents are given to the capable ones, who are better capable of entering the King’s palace.

Accordingly, we should interpret what we asked, what does knowing that the Creator, too, will return from exile, like Israel, add to us in the work, as our sages said about the verse, “And the Lord your God returned from your captivity”? They said, “It was not said ‘will return’ but rather ‘returned,’ meaning that the Creator returned with them from the exiles.”

However, first we must understand how can we speak of “exile” in relation to the Creator. Exile means that He has departed from the place where He was and had to go to foreign places and be governed by other kings. Also, He has no choice but to do and obey every wish of every ruler under whom He is. Yet, we must believe what is written, that “The whole earth is full of His glory.” Thus, how can we speak of exile in relation to the Creator?

We should also understand toward whom we say that the Creator is in exile. In relation to Himself, we cannot say because we do not know His thoughts, as it is written in The Zohar, “There is no thought or perception in Him whatsoever.” Rather, all that we say in relation to the Creator is, as in, “By Your actions, we know You.” Therefore, we must say that the Creator is in exile in relation to Israel. In other words, the people of Israel see that the Creator is in exile among the nations. Hence, we should understand how it is expressed that it seems to the people of Israel that He is in exile. Also, we should understand what is exile, and then we will be able to understand that one who is in exile feels the taste of exile.

We should also know that concerning exile, we find two discernments: 1) When the people of Israel were in the holy land and had a Temple. Nebuchadnezzar came, destroyed the Temple, and exiled Israel from the land, as it is written (Esther 2), “There was a Jewish man in the capital, Susa, whose name was Mordecai, who had been exiled from Jerusalem.” It follows that exile means that they have been exiled from a place of happiness and tranquility to go and suffer and wander, and have no peace of mind. 2) We find that in the exile in Egypt, they were not exiled from a place of tranquility, but where they were, they began to feel that they were in exile. They saw that they were enslaved to Pharaoh king of Egypt, meaning that what the king of Egypt required of them, they had no free choice but had to obey his wish in everything he demanded of them.

Accordingly, what does it mean that the Creator was exiled from His place? After all, it is written, “The whole earth is full of His glory,” so how can we say that the Creator has been exiled from His place unto another place? According to the second interpretation of exile, such as the exile in Egypt, when Pharaoh King of Egypt ruled over the children of Israel, they felt exile in this. But how can we speak of exile in relation to the Creator, for does anyone govern Him that we can say that the Creator is in exile?

Certainly, when we speak of exile in relation to the Creator, it is only from the perspective of the creatures. That is, it is according to the attainment of the creatures that there is the matter of exile and redemption. Sometimes they perceive the Creator as a great King dwelling in His palace with Seraphim and animals and wheels of holiness standing around Him, and sometimes they perceive Him as a King who has been exiled from His palace, captive under the rule of another king. This is regarded as the King being in exile.

Accordingly, we should interpret that the people of Israel went out of the land of Israel and the Temple was ruined. In the work, we should interpret that the people of Israel went out and did not feel the flavor of Torah and Mitzvot, and their heart, which was a place for feeling the Kedusha, called “The Temple,” that place was ruined.

The other king, called “an old and foolish king,” conquered their hearts and took all the Kelim of Kedusha out of there. This means that he took out all the thoughts of Kedusha that they had in their hearts and inserted instead, an idol in the palace of the Lord. That is, where previously there was Kedusha, he took out all the thoughts of Kedusha, where Kedusha means thoughts for the sake of the Creator. Yet, he conquered their hearts and installed in their hearts thoughts that are only about their own benefit. This is regarded as a foolish old king conquering the Temple and exiling Israel from within it. That is, the quality of Israel is no longer in their bodies.

This is as it is written (Psalms 79, “A Psalm for Asaf”), “God, the nations have come into Your inheritance; they have defiled the Temple of Your holiness, laid Jerusalem in ruins.” That is, the quality of Israel departed from their hearts and in their stead came gentiles.

Accordingly, this means that the Creator has been exiled with them. That is, He departed from His palace because of Israel, meaning that this is how they feel, that He does not have the importance that they felt before they were exiled from the land of Israel.

What is the benefit of the Creator being in exile with them? We can understand this by what Baal HaSulam said about the words of our sages, “‘A person does not sin unless a spirit of folly has entered him.’ People ask about this, ‘Why did a spirit of folly enter? So he would sin.’” He said that since there is a rule that “The eye sees and the heart covets,” if a person sees something bad, whether in sight or in thought, he must come to covet it. Therefore, although he cannot prevent this with his eyes, because both thoughts and looking come without any preparation, hence, this is still not considered a sin, but from this we come into a sin that is called “coveting.”

If a person immediately repents on the seeing, he will not come to covet and will not sin. But if a person does not immediately repent the seeing, he must come to the sin called “coveting.”

A correction was made above, that in order for man not to blemish the glory of the King, He took out of him the spirit of wisdom and installed in him the spirit of folly. Thus, we see that even in the courthouse of below, a fool is not punished in the same manner as a sane person. It follows that here, when gentiles entered his heart and he does not feel the taste of life in Torah and Mitzvot, it is considered that for him, the Creator, too, is in exile. In that state, he does not have the faith in the Creator he had had before he suffered the descent. Hence, the blemish is not so great.

And there is another meaning to the Creator being in exile with them, when the people of Israel are in exile. When the nations govern them, the Creator is in exile, too. Therefore, we ask for the Creator to come out of exile, since we must be careful not to pray for self-love but only for the sake of the Creator. Hence, when he asks the Creator to take His people out from exile, he is asking for the sake of the creatures, and not for the sake of the Creator.

For this reason, when we believe that the Creator, too, is in exile, we ask for the sake of the Creator. That is, we pray for the glory of heaven. It is as is said in the litany: “Have mercy on us, O Lord, why should the nations say, ‘Where is their God?’ For Your sake, Be merciful with us and do not delay.’” It follows that by knowing that the Creator, too, suffers from the exile, this gives them a place to pray for the Creator and not for himself.

However, how can we say that He is in exile and that the gentiles seemingly control Him as they control Israel? The answer is that since the purpose of creation is to do good to His creations, and over the good that the creatures must receive, there was a correction that they will aim to bestow, hence, when Israel are in exile among the nations—when they are placed under the governance of self-love—they cannot receive the delight and pleasure clothed in Torah and Mitzvot.

For this reason, they cannot feel the taste of life that there is in Kedusha. And since the exile among the nations of the world is on them, anything they will receive will have the taste of the concealment of the face. But since the Creator desires the existence of the world, He must dress Himself in dresses that are not of Kedusha. That is, He bestows upon the world vitality in dresses of corporeality, meaning that He bestows upon the world pleasure and life only in corporeal things.

This means that the world can receive delight and pleasure only in dresses called “envy,” “lust,” and “honor.” That is, He illuminates and sustains the world with dresses of Klipot [shells/peels], dresses that separate them from the Creator, since these pleasures come clothed in Kelim of self-love.

It follows that the Creator suffers from their being in exile, meaning that while they are placed under the governance of the nations of the world, the Creator must hide Himself from His sons so they would not know that He is the one giving them the taste of exile in Torah and Mitzvot, and that they find all the life in vessels of reception. That is, this correction of having pleasures in vessels of reception and being unable to feel the taste in Torah and Mitzvot, the Creator made the correction so they would not blemish the Kedusha and to prevent everything going to the Klipot. That is, they would not draw farther from Kedusha by feeling more flavor in self-reception, since wherever the pleasure is greater, they move farther into the vessels of reception, which separates them from Kedusha.

It therefore follows that by knowing that the Creator is in exile, that He must hide Himself as though He is in exile, by this a person can know that there are no Klipot in the world, but that a person should ask for everything only from the Creator, and there is no other force.

Inapoi la pagina 1988 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Inapoi la pagina 1988 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

What Is the Prayer for Help and for Forgiveness in the Work?

Article No. 04, Tav-Shin-Mem-Het, 1987-88

Our sages said (Kidushin 30b), “Man’s inclination overcomes him every day and seeks to put him to death. Were it not for the help of the Creator, he would not overcome it.” This means that when the Creator helps him, he can overcome it. Hence, the question is, Why should a person ask the Creator for forgiveness for the sin, since our sages said that a person himself cannot overcome it unless with the help of the Creator? It follows that if a person sins, it is not his fault, for what could he do if the Creator did not help him?

To understand this, we first need to understand the root of sins. That is, what is the source and the reason that causes all the sins? Although the answer is simple and known to all, that the reason for all the sins is the evil inclination, we should know the source and the root of the evil inclination, which incites the creatures to sin. In other words, why does He want the creatures to sin in the world? We should also understand what is the good inclination, which wants specifically that the creatures will engage in Torah and Mitzvot [good deeds/commandments].

As we learned, the purpose of creation is to do good to His creations. For this reason, the Creator created creatures that want to receive delight and pleasure, meaning to have a desire and craving for pleasures, or they feel that they have no point in living. They must receive pleasure or they feel torments. That will to receive, imprinted in the creatures, is the root of all the evil inclination, which incites the creatures to sin.

However, we need to understand, if the Creator created this will to receive in the creatures, and it is the reason why the creatures are called “creatures,” which is as it is written, that the creatures are called “existence from absence,” which is something new that did not exist before He created it, then why is it the root of the evil inclination?

The answer to this is presented in The Study of the Ten Sefirot. Since every branch wants to resemble its root, had this will to receive remained in its form, which is in order to receive, that desire, which is opposite from the Creator, would feel unpleasantness upon reception of the pleasures. For this reason, there was a correction on this, called Tzimtzum [restriction]. This means that it will not receive the light in this Kli [vessel] called “receiving for oneself,” but will receive the abundance specifically when it has the intention to bestow.

This means that all that a person wants to receive for himself became forbidden because any desire in the upper one becomes a binding law in the lower one, meaning that the lower makes a prohibition if he receives for himself, and not with the aim to bestow contentment upon his Maker.

It follows that all the sins extend from a person wanting to receive for his own sake. It is as it is written, “I have created the evil inclination; I have created the Torah as a spice.” It follows that the Torah and Mitzvot that we were given to observe are with the aim to bring us to the intention to be able to aim our hearts to do everything in order to bestow. This is called Kedusha [holiness/sanctity]. From this extends that the Klipa [shell/peel] and the Sitra Achra [other side], which want to receive for their own sake, are in this, opposite from Kedusha.

For this reason, we call the will to receive for one’s own sake by a new name, “evil inclination,” since by wanting to satisfy its own wish and enjoy for itself, it prevents us from observing Torah and Mitzvot. By observing Torah and Mitzvot, even if Lo Lishma [not for Her sake], we come to Lishma[for Her sake]. Hence, even in Lo Lishma, the evil inclination prevents us from observing Torah and Mitzvot, since from Lo Lishma we come to Lishma. For this reason, for the mere doubt that “it may come,” it already disrupts.

Lishma means that a person does everything for the sake of the Creator and not for his own sake. It follows that when a person engages in Torah and Mitzvot, the evil inclination loses so much that it disappears from the world. In other words, by observing Torah and Mitzvot, the person kills it. It is as our sages said (Berachot 61b), “Tania Rabbi Yosi from the Galilee says, ‘The righteous, the good inclination judges them, as it was said, ‘My heart is slain within me.’’” RASHI interprets, “‘My heart is slain within me’ is the evil inclination. It is as though dead within me, meaning that he can force it.”

Accordingly, everything that the evil inclination does, which obstructs him from engaging in Torah and Mitzvot, it does justly, since the person wants to put it to death through the Torah and Mitzvot. For this reason, the will to receive is called “evil,” since it harms a person, for the evil inclination prevents a person from achieving Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator, which is called “life,” as it is written, “And you, who cling unto the Lord your God, are alive every single one of you this day.”

When a person realizes that the will to receive for himself prevents him from reaching the world of the living and wants the person to remain in the world of darkness and death, is there anything worse in the world than obstructing him from reaching life? At that time a person names the will to receive for himself, “evil inclination.” This means that when a person feels the troubles it causes him, he names it “evil.” Before a person comes to feel that the will to receive for himself prevents him from reaching the delight and pleasure, the person does not refer to the will to receive for himself by the name “evil inclination.”

From this we see that the will to receive for oneself is right when it prevents a person from observing Torah and Mitzvot, since the will to receive for oneself sees that the person wants to put it to death, as in the words of our sages about the verse, “My heart is slain within me,” that in the righteous, who observe Torah and Mitzvot, the evil inclination becomes as though dead. It is as our sages said, “I have created the evil inclination; I have created the Torah as a spice.”

It follows that this will to receive, which is imprinted in the creatures, is the root of all the sins. It does not let the creatures observe the commandments of the Creator because it sees that they want to remove it from the world. It is as is written in the essay “Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah” (Item 1): “Rabbi Hanania Ben Akashia says, ‘The Creator wanted to cleanse Israel; hence, He gave them plentiful Torah and Mitzvot.’” It explains there that by observing Torah and Mitzvot, they are rewarded with cleansing from the will to receive for themselves. Hence, we understand very well why the will to receive is what prevents us from observing Torah and Mitzvot, and is the root and the cause for all the sins.

It therefore follows that those who want to work on the path of bestowal, the war against the evil inclination is more difficult for them, since these people really want to kill and put to death the will to receive for themselves. That is, they want to walk in the path of Torah, which is opposite from the view of landlords. The view of landlords is that they are not doing anything unless it is for their own good. Hence, when they engage in Torah and Mitzvot, their whole intention is to thereby gain reward for their own sake.

That is, they will stay in their will to receive. Before they began to engage in Torah and Mitzvot, they wanted reward in this world, while engaging only in corporeal matters, for one who works for the landlord wants the landlord to pay his salary. But now that they have begun to work and observe Torah and Mitzvot that the Creator has commanded us, they want the Creator to pay their reward. It follows that it is all by way of self-gain. But afterward, when they begin to observe Torah and Mitzvot, it is with the intention to receive reward for their will to receive—the next world.

Thus, the evil inclination, called “will to receive,” did not resist them so much, since the will to receive objected to them only over doubt, meaning since from Lo Lishma we come to Lishma. That is, he began to engage in Torah and Mitzvot in order to reward himself, but by this he could later come to Lishma, meaning to work only for the sake of the Creator and not for his own sake.

Conversely, one who wants, from the beginning, to work not in order to receive reward, meaning he does not want to work for his own sake, the evil inclination certainly resists him every step of the way. The evil inclination wants to keep “He who comes to kill you, kill him first.” Hence, their work is much harder than those who work in order to receive reward, since from the beginning, they say that they want to observe Torah and Mitzvot as a remedy by which to kill the evil inclination, as was said, “And my heart is slain within me.”

Now we can understand the question we asked according to what our sages said, “Man’s inclination overcomes him every day. Were it not for the help of the Creator, he would not overcome it.” Thus, why is it man’s fault if he did not receive the required help from the Creator? And accordingly, why should one ask forgiveness from the Creator? The answer is simple: It is because he did not ask for help. Our sages said, “He who comes to purify is aided.” It follows that the help comes from the Creator after he asks for help.

Thus, man’s sin is that he did not ask the Creator for help. Had he asked for help, he would certainly get help from the Creator. But if a person says that he asked for help and the Creator did not help him, to this comes the answer that a person should believe that the Creator hears the prayers, as it is written, “For You hear the prayer of every mouth.” If he truly believed, his prayer would be complete, and the Creator hears a complete prayer when a person yearns with all his heart that the Creator will help him.

But if his prayer is not constantly on his lips, it means that he does not have the real faith that the Creator can help him and that the Creator hears everyone who asks Him, and that small and great are equal before Him, meaning that He answers everyone. It follows that the prayer is incomplete. This is why he should ask forgiveness for his sins, for not asking for the required help from the Creator.

And although there are other answers in the literal, in the work, when a person wants to walk on the path of bestowal and not by way of reception, the sin is mainly that a person did not ask the Creator to help him overcome the evil. For this, he asks forgiveness, and from here on he will ask for help.

Inapoi la pagina 1988 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link