Autor: arhiprofesor

Inapoi la pagina 1987 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

What Is Unfounded Hatred in the Work?

Article No. 24, Tav-Shin-Mem-Zayin, 1986-87

Our sages said (Yoma 9b), “The Second Temple, when they engaged in Torah and Mitzvot[commandments] and charity, why was it ruined? Because there was unfounded hatred in it.” We should understand what is the gravity of unfounded hatred, to the point that our sages said that even though there were Torah and Mitzvot there, and charity there, since there was unfounded hatred, it is powerless to protect from the ruin of the Temple. We should also understand why there was a need to destroy the Temple if there were all three things there. That is, if there is unfounded hatred there, is there no more room to keep the Temple standing and it must be ruined?

Therefore, we must understand the connection between unfounded hatred and the Temple. Also, we must understand what it means that it is for unfounded hatred, whereas if there were hatred there that was not unfounded, the prohibition would not have been so grave and the Temple could have remained.

It is written in the Torah (Leviticus 19:17): “You shall not hate your brother in your heart.” There it means as RASHBAM interprets “If he does you harm.” If he does you harm, it is still forbidden to hate him, much less for nothing. But this is only one manner of prohibition. If that prohibition were over nothing, the Temple would not have the right to exist and it would have to be ruined. That is, had there been hatred there, but the hatred was not unfounded, the Temple would not have been ruined. The whole reason for the ruin of the Temple was only because the hatred was for nothing. Therefore, we should understand the connection between unfounded hatred and the Temple.

In the prayer “May It Please,” which we say before saying Psalms, it is written, “The merit of King David will protect, so You will be patient until we return unto You with complete repentance before You, and grant me the treasure of a free gift.”

We should understand the connection between asking for complete repentance, meaning that we lack nothing and we ask for nothing at all, and immediately after, we ask, “Grant me the treasure of a free gift,” implying we want something more besides complete repentance. This also implies that we actually do want a reward for our work, but because we are full of iniquities and crimes, we ask that You will atone for our sins and we want to repent. This is why we do not deserve a reward. This is why we are not asking for reward, and why we are asking You, “Grant me the treasure of a free gift.”

We should understand this. After all, we should work for the sake of the Creator and not to receive reward, yet we ask Him to grant us. We cannot say, “Reward us,” since we do not deserve it because we are sinners. Therefore, we want a free gift. Accordingly, how is it permitted to ask that He will give us for free? After all, we need nothing for ourselves, but only for the sake of the Creator. Thus, why are we asking Him to give us “the treasure of a free gift”? Is receiving for ourselves from there permitted?

However, we learned that the essence of our work is that since the Creator created a Kli [vessel] to receive the delight and pleasure called “will to receive for oneself,” meaning that without yearning, we cannot enjoy anything because this is our nature, for this reason, the original Kli that can enjoy is called “desire to receive pleasure.”

However, afterwards there was a correction called “equivalence of form,” which is not to use the will to receive for oneself but to the extent that one can aim to bestow. In other words, the Creator created the world called “desire to receive pleasure,” and that desire is regarded as having been created “existence from absence,” since the desire to bestow that exists in Him created a new thing.

In order not to have shame, we need to invent for ourselves the desire to bestow that He has had before He created us with the will to receive. But since the desire to bestow is against our nature, we ask Him that as He has given us the will to receive, now He will give the desire to bestow that He has, and for which He has created in us the will to receive, for we haven’t the power to go against nature, but the Creator, who has given us this nature, can give a second nature. That is, only He can make us use the vessels of bestowal.

By this we should interpret that when we are asking the Creator, “Grant me the treasure of a free gift,” it means that the will of the Creator, who has created the world, was a free gift, since to whom was He indebted? Also, we ask Him to grant us of this treasure called a “free gift,” meaning that we, too, will have this power to do the holy work for free, called “not in order to receive reward.”

By this we will understand what we asked about the connection between asking and saying, “Be patient with us until we return to You with complete repentance before You,” and then we ask Him to give us the treasure of a free gift. He begins with repentance, which is all that we lack, and we promptly say, “Grant us.” Repentance means that we want to return to the root, as it is written about it, “Repentance means, ‘The Hey returns to the Vav.’” This means that the Hey, called Malchut, which is reception, will return to the Vav, called the “bestower.”

This means that by wanting to do everything in order to bestow, we cause the root of the soul of each and every one, which is Malchut, to be completely in order to bestow. It therefore follows that the repentance we ask is that we want to work only in order to bestow, and we immediately say, “Give!” meaning that we are asking, “Grant me the treasure of a free gift.”

According to what we explained above, the meaning of a “treasure of a free gift” is an explanation about repentance, meaning which repentance we are seeking. This is what we promptly explain. That is, we want You to give us the desire to bestow, called “the treasure of a free gift.” That is, that desire, with which You have created the world, called “His desire to do good to His creations,” with nothing in return, but only for free, as it is known that the creation of the world was “by donation.” Give us this desire.

It follows that asking to be given “the treasure of a free gift” explains which repentance we want, as it is written in The Zohar, “repentance means that the Hey returns to the Vav.” Now we can understand what we asked about what our sages said, that the Second Temple was ruined although there were Torah and Mitzvot and charity there. Still, since there was unfounded hatred there, it could not exist, and Torah and Mitzvot and charity did not have the power to save the Temple from ruin.

We explained that a “free gift” means that we need Kelim in which the Kedusha [holiness/sanctity] can be. Otherwise, the Kedusha must depart because there is no equivalence of form between the light and the Kli. Kedusha means to bestow. If the Kli works in order to receive, the light must depart. For this reason, we ask, “Grant me the treasure of a free gift.”

Since there was unfounded hatred in the Second Temple, meaning that they hated the “free,” meaning to work for free, without any reward, but rather not in order to receive reward, hence, even though they engaged in Torah and Mitzvot and in charity, because they did not have the aim to bestow, there was no room for the Kedusha to settle there due to the oppositeness of form between them. This is why the Temple had to be ruined.

The order of the work is that we need Torah and Mitzvot and charity so they will bring us to work for free. That is, they are only means to achieve the goal, which is to achieve Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator, which is equivalence of form, as it is written, “And to cleave unto Him,” and our sages said, “As He is merciful, so you are merciful.”

The 613 Mitzvot in that state are the means by which to achieve Dvekut, and The Zohar calls them “613 counsels.” This is as it is written (“Introduction of The Book of Zohar,” “Mirrors of the Sulam,” Item 1), “The Zohar calls the Mitzvot in the Torah by the name Pekudin [deposits]. However, they are also called ‘613 Eitin [counsels].’ The difference between them is that in everything there is Panim[anterior] and Achor [posterior]. The preparation for something is called Achor, and its attainment is called Panim. When observing Torah and Mitzvot as “doers of His word,” before we are rewarded with hearing, the Mitzvot are called ‘613 counsels’ and they are regarded as Achor. When rewarded with hearing the voice of His word, the 613 Mitzvot become Pekudin, from the word ‘deposit,’ since there are 613 Mitzvot and in each Mitzva, the light of a special degree is deposited.”

In the above-said, it is explained to us that the order of the work during the preparation is that we should observe Torah and Mitzvot. This is an advice by which we can achieve Dvekut, called “equivalence of form.” Only afterward, when they have Kelim that can receive the upper light, the 613 Mitzvot become deposits and they are rewarded with all the lights intended for each and every Mitzva, according to its essence.

Since there was unfounded hatred there, when they hated the work for free, without reward, meaning that they had no need to work not in order to receive reward, but rather the Torah and Mitzvot and charity were all in order to receive reward, hence this work is called “If he is not rewarded, it turns for him into the potion of death.” For this reason, the observing of Torah and Mitzvot and charity during the Second Temple could not prevent the ruin of the Temple, for in order to maintain the Kedusha there is a need for vessels of bestowal. Since they did not have them, the Temple was ruined.

It therefore follows that man is born out of the Kli that the Creator has given him, called “will to receive for himself,” and all his work and profits belong to the receiver, and no one has a claim over what man has acquired. In other words, both the man and the possessions belong to the receiver for himself.

It is as he says (“Introduction to The Book of Zohar,” Item 11), “For the body, which is the will to receive for himself, extends from its root in the thought of creation, passes through the system of the worlds of Tuma’a, and remains enslaved to that system for the first thirteen years.”

It therefore follows that indeed, everything belongs to the receiver. Thus, how is he told after thirteen years, “Know that although until now everything belonged to you, but henceforth, you and all the property you see should be handed over to the authority of the Creator, and there is nothing for you. In other words, until now you were a gentile, and now everything that the gentiles have is taken away and transferred to the authority of Israel.”

But what is “the authority of Israel”? It is the authority of the Creator, called Yashar-El [straight to the Creator]. This means that everything that Israel has enters the singular authority. It follows that everything that was in the authority of the receiver, each and every detail, which together are called the “nations of the world,” is now required, since everything that belonged to them, now they are told that the receiver for himself must relinquish everything he has and transfer it to the authority of Israel.

And what is “the authority of Israel”? As said above, the Creator is the authority of Israel, for they have no authority of their own, but rather they all want to annul before the Creator.

Now we can interpret the words of RASHI in his interpretation on the word Beresheet [in the beginning]: “Rabbi Isaac said, ‘The Torah should have begun with, ‘This month is to you…’ which is the first Mitzva that Israel were commanded. What is the reason that he began with Beresheet? It is because ‘He has made known to His people the power of His works, to give them the inheritance of the nations.’ Thus, if the idolaters should tell them, ‘You are robbers, for you have conquered seven nations,’ they would reply, ‘The whole of the Earth belongs to the Creator. He has created it and He has given it that whom He saw fit. Upon His will, He gave it to them, and upon His will, He has taken it from them and has given it to us.’’”

We should understand what this teaches us in the work. As we explained, we can understand this simply. The Creator created the world with the aim to do good to His creations, which is that the receiver for himself will enjoy. In order to have Dvekut with the Creator, called “equivalence of form,” a correction was made not to work for the receiver for himself but for the sake of the Creator, which is called “in order to bestow.”

It is known that in order to bestow is called “Israel,” and in order to receive is called the “nations of the world.” Since there are seven qualities of Kedusha, which are HGT NHYM, there are also seven bad qualities in the Klipot, which are called “seven nations.” Everything must be taken away from their authority and transferred to Israel, meaning that the owners of the seven qualities will be Israel and not the nations of the world, which are the seven nations corresponding to seven Klipot.

As he says (there in the introduction), “Until the age of thirteen, man is in the authority of the Klipot. Afterward, he must come out of the Klipot, and this is the time called ‘idol-worshipping,’ and enter the Kedusha, called ‘Israel.’” At that time, the Klipot come with the argument, “But the Creator has created us, meaning the will to receive for ourselves, and has placed you under our control, so why after thirteen years you want to exit our control? Moreover, you want to govern us!” This is the grievance of the body against a person when he wants to exit being an idolater, called “self-reception,” and become Israel, which is to do everything in order to bestow upon the Creator.

It is written, “You are robbers, for you have conquered seven nations.” They reply, “The whole of the Earth belongs to the Creator,” meaning that He is the owner of the world. That is, the Creator, who has created the world in order to do good to His creations, first created the receiver for himself to receive from Him the delight and pleasure. Later, in order for the creatures not to feel any flaw in receiving the delight and pleasure, a judgment was passed and the light departed from the receiver for himself. Instead, the light was given to the receiver in order to bestow, and the receiver for himself remained in the dark, without light.

Later, upon the creation of the souls and in the world of Tikkun [correction], two systems extended from this: ABYA of Kedusha [sanctity/holiness] and ABYA of Tuma’a [impurity], and man comes out and is born. For thirteen years, he is under the authority of ABYA of Tuma’a. Afterward, through the power of Torah and Mitzvot, he exits their control and takes everything along with him to the side of Kedusha.

This is the meaning of the nations’ complaint, “You are robbers, for you have conquered seven nations.” It means that the nations of the world in a person complain to him: “Why are you making a fuss? You can see that the Creator has created the will to receive for itself, and He must want the will to receive to enjoy the world. Why do you want to do the opposite? meaning take all the pleasure from self-reception and give it all to ‘Israel,’ called ‘in order to bestow’? In other words, you want to be a thief, and you are saying that the Creator agrees to this. Is this possible?”

To this comes the answer that it is as it is written, “Stolen water is sweet” (Proverbs 9). Through the stealing, they will be mitigated [sweetened], when everything is taken away from the receiver for himself, called “idol-worshipper,” which are the seven nations. “Sweet” means that specifically through Israel, who take parts from the Klipot and raise them to Kedusha, this will be their correction. Only by stealing, when they think that what they have is taken away from them—they will receive correction.

This is so because in their Kelim, meaning in idol-worshipping, which are the seven nations, they want to receive. And they do receive, but it is only a tiny light compared to what the Creator wants to give. It is written about it, “To do good to His creations, is generously, not with a very thin light.” This was given to them only so they would persist until they truly receive all the light that was intended in the thought of creation. At the end of all the corrections, says The Zohar, “The angel of death will become a holy angel.” It also says, “SAM is destined to become a holy angel.”

It follows that specifically by stealing, when the nations of the world say, “You are robbers,” they receive mitigation, when each time a part of them is transferred to the Kedusha. By this they receive correction. This is the meaning of the words, “Stolen water is sweet.”

What does this verse tell us in the work? We should know that to the extent that we can take possessions away from the Sitra Achra [other side] and the Klipot, which are reception, to that extent we mitigate the bad and it receives complete correction. When all the discernments that have fallen into the Klipot enter the Kedusha, then will be the end of correction and everything will be completed.

Inapoi la pagina 1987 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Inapoi la pagina 1987 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Pacea după o disputĂ este mai importantă decât sĂ nu fi avut nicio dispută

Article No. 22, Tav-Shin-Mem-Zayin, 1986-87

It is written in The Zohar (Pinhas, Item 180): “It is written, ‘My God, save Your servant.’ ‘Delight the soul of Your servant.’ ‘Give Your strength to Your servant.’ Three times did David become a servant in this praise, corresponding to the three times that the authors of the Mishnah established that man should be a servant in the prayer. In the first blessings, he should be as a servant who praises his teacher. In the middle ones, he is as a servant who asks for a gift from his teacher. In the last blessings, he is as a servant who thanks his teacher for the gift he has received from him, and he walks away.”

We should understand why they compared man’s prayer to a servant receiving a gift from his teacher, and not to charity or other things. What does this teach us in the work?

It is known that from the Creator, two things come to us directly: 1) the light, 2) the Kli [vessel] to receive the light.

1) We learned that the purpose of creation is His will to do good to His creations. It follows that the Creator wanted to do good to the creatures even without an awakening from the lower ones, for there were still no creatures in the world from whom to receive awakening. This is regarded as the light coming from the Creator without any involvement of the lower one.

2) The Creator created—existence from absence—a Kli called “desire and yearning to receive delight and pleasure.” This means that what we see is as in “By Your actions we know You,” meaning that we speak only of what we see that exists in the nature of creation. We see that it is impossible to enjoy anything, whatever it is, unless there is a yearning for it. For this reason, we learned that from the perspective of the light that created this Kli, called “will to receive,” it underwent four Behinot[discernments], meaning four stages until the will to receive acquired the complete form of yearning. After the light created the Kli, this Kli received the delight and pleasure that He wished to give.

These two above-mentioned things, the light and the Kli, pertain to the Creator. We learn that in this respect, there was complete perfection and there is nothing to add to this.

However, afterwards, something new was born, which we attribute to the creature and not to the Creator. In other words, we attribute the matter of giving to the Creator, who is the giver, for His desire is to do good to His creations, which is to give abundance to the creatures and receive nothing from them. Yet, afterward, something new was made, as it is written in The Study of the Ten Sefirot(Part 1), that the first receiver, called Malchut de Ein Sof, craved a decoration called “decoration at the point of desire”: to have equivalence of form called Dvekut [adhesion]. For this reason, the Tzimtzum [restriction] was made, meaning that she diminished her will to receive on the Kli called “will to receive,” hence the light departed.

Malchut invented a new Kli, called “will to bestow,” meaning not to receive delight and pleasure according to the level of the yearning for the light, but according to the level of her desire to bestow. This means that Malchut calculated how many percent of the abundance she could receive with the aim to bestow. On the part she would receive in order to receive, if she were to receive, she would not receive.

It follows that we attribute this Kli, which the lower one gives, to the lower one, since the Kelim[vessels] of the upper one, which the upper has made in order for the lower one to be able to enjoy the light, is only the will to receive. That Kli will never be revoked because what the Creator has created must always exist.

However, the lower one can add to the Kli of the Creator, as it is written, “Which God has created to do.” This means that God has created the Kli called “desire to receive pleasure,” and man must add to it a correction called “the intention to bestow,” as was said above, that Malchut de Ein Sof decorated herself at the point of the desire. This means that her decoration was in that she placed on the will to receive the aim to bestow.

There, in Malchut de Ein Sof, was only the root. From her, it extended to the lower ones that it is forbidden to receive, following the rule, “A desire in the upper one becomes a binding law in the lower one.” It extended from this discernment until the Sitra Achra [other side] was born—the opposite of Kedusha [holiness/sanctity]. In Kedusha, there is only the desire to bestow, which is Dvekut. But those who want to receive in order to receive become removed and separated from the Life of Lives. For this reason, they said in The Zohar, “The wicked in their lives are called ‘dead,’” and said the verse, “The grace of the nations is a sin,” about the wicked, “All the good that they do, they do for themselves.”

It therefore follows that Creator gives two things directly to the creature: 1) the delight and pleasure, 2) the desire to yearn for pleasures.

However, unpleasantness, called “shame,” extends indirectly from the Creator. That is, the Creator wants the lower one to receive delight and not suffering, but indirectly, meaning that the upper one, the Giver, does not want the lower one to feel shame upon reception of the delight.

This is why the correction of the Tzimtzum was made. Because of the Tzimtzum, the abundance does not come to the Kelim [vessels] that the Creator has made, unless the creature has placed a correction of the intention to bestow on the Kli. If a person does not have this Kli, he remains in the dark without light, and the name The Good Who Does Good is hidden from him because he does not have the right Kelim for reception of the abundance, which is called “equivalence of form.”

It follows that the whole novelty that was made after the Tzimtzum is that only the aim to bestow is missing, but the two discernments that extended prior to the Tzimtzum did not change. In other words, in the first Behina [discernment], which is His desire to do good, there was no change, and after the Tzimtzum He still wants to impart delight and pleasure. In the second Behina, which is the will to receive, there was also no change. It is as we learn that there are no changes in spirituality, but only additions. It follows that after the Tzimtzum, it is impossible to receive any upper abundance unless we add to the will to receive the aim to bestow. This is all of our work in Torah and Mitzvot[commandments]: to be rewarded with vessels of bestowal.

Our sages said about this (Kidushin 30), “I have created the evil inclination; I have created the spice of Torah.” It is known that the will to receive is called “evil inclination” because it causes remoteness from the Creator, since it is in disparity of form from the Creator. The Creator aims to bestow, whereas the evil inclination wants only to receive. For this reason, all the delight and pleasure in the thought of creation is hidden from it.

However, how can we obtain these Kelim, since this is against our nature?

The answer is that this is why we were given the Torah and Mitzvot. Through them, we can obtain these Kelim. Yet, why are not everyone awarded with vessels of bestowal through Torah and Mitzvot? The reason is that there is no light without a Kli.

It follows that if a person does not know for certain that all we need are only these Kelim, he still does not have real Kelim. In other words, he does not have a need for these Kelim. It follows that the light is in Torah and Mitzvot, which can assist a person to attain in these Kelim, but he does not have a real need to be given these Kelim.

If we look a little deeper in, and thoroughly examine those who observe Torah and Mitzvot, whether they want to be given vessels of bestowal and to give in return the will to receive, the vast majority of the workers will say that they pass on this. Instead, they want to observe Torah and Mitzvot in order to receive. It follows that they have no need for vessels of bestowal. For this reason, how can they say that the Torah and Mitzvot they labor in should give them a reward for which they have no need? On the contrary, they are afraid lest they will lose the vessel of reception called “self-love.”

This is as Maimonides says (end of Hilchot Teshuva), “Our sages said, ‘One should always engage in Torah, even if Lo Lishma [not for Her sake], since from Lo Lishma he will come to Lishma [for Her sake]. Therefore, when teaching little ones, 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 the matter calmly until they attain Him and serve Him with love.’”

It therefore follows that one should yearn to obtain vessels of bestowal. Although he sees that the will to receive disagrees with it, meaning that it does not let him pray that the Creator will give him these Kelim, for that, too, one must pray to the Creator to give him a desire to understand the necessity that there is in these Kelim. He asks the Creator to have the strength to overcome the desire of the body, which wants to remain specifically in vessels of reception. Moreover, when he sees that a desire can emerge from this thing—that the person will later want to come to vessels of bestowal—he promptly feels this and begins to instantaneously resist.

However, a person does not come easily into seeing that he cannot work in order to bestow. Instead, a person thinks that now he still does not have the desire to bestow, but whenever he wants to work in order to bestow, the choice is in his hands, meaning he will be able to work in order to bestow. The awareness that he thinks he has calms him down so as not to be impressed by the fact that he is not engaging in work of bestowal, since whenever he chooses, he will be able to. For this reason, he is not worried about this.

However, the truth is that this is not within man’s power, as it is against human nature. Our sages said about this: “Man’s inclination overcomes him every day. If the Creator does not help him, he will not overcome it.” However, in order to receive help, a person must see and exert to have a need for His help. This is why it was said, “He who comes to purify,” then the Creator helps him.

We asked, Why does man have to begin the work and only then the Creator helps him? Why does the Creator not give him this strength right away, meaning that even if a person does not ask for help, the Creator will help him as soon as he begins the work of the Creator? According to the rule that there is no light without a Kli, a person must begin. When a person sees that he cannot, he has a need for the Creator’s help. Therefore, specifically when one has begun the work and sees he is unable, in that state he receives a Kli for the Creator to impart him this force, called “desire to bestow.”

However, normally, when a person begins the work of bestowal and sees that it is difficult for him, and sees that in his view, he has already asked the Creator many times to help him but received no help at all, a person escapes the campaign and says that this work is not for him. Indeed, precisely in this place, when he has resolved that this is difficult for him alone and only the Creator can help, a person must trust the Creator that He will help him.

However, this still does not complete the Kli, meaning the need for His help. Each time he asks for help, although he still does not feel His help, we must believe above reason that the Creator does help, but that we still do not need to see in order to reveal the real need for this.

According to the above, we should interpret that the verse, “For the ways of the Lord are straight. The righteous walk in it and the wicked fail in them.” This means that precisely at this point, when a person comes to a resolution that it is not within man’s power to obtain vessels of bestowal because he sees that not a single organ in his body agrees to this, now he has arrived at the point of truth. Now he should make an honest prayer for the Creator to help him. Certainly, he will receive the help from the Creator, who sits and waits for man to give him the Kli, meaning the need for it. It is precisely here that a person escapes from that state, and precisely here is where the help can come to him. Yet, he escapes the campaign and for this reason he is called “a criminal.”

Yet, the righteous does not despair because specifically now he is rewarded with vessels of bestowal. It follows that in the same place where “the righteous walk,” meaning receive an ascent in degree, in that very same place “the wicked fail.” Precisely in this place where they should receive help, they fail and escape the campaign.

It follows from all the above that man should ask for the Creator’s giving, meaning that the Creator will give him as a gift the vessels of reception, just as He has given him the Kli called “will to receive.” In other words, on one hand, we say that the Creator has given the Kli and the light, meaning both the desire and the yearning to receive the pleasure, as well as the pleasure. Only the addition to the Kli, which is the will to bestow, we attribute to the creatures, as it is written, “Which God has created to do.” “Which has created” refers to the will to receive, called “created,” which is something made existence from absence, called “creation.” On this, man should place the aim to bestow, meaning that this really does belong to the creatures and not to the Creator.

However, the truth is that the Creator should give even this Kli, called “addition.” When we say that this pertains to the creatures, it means that man should ask the Creator to give him this Kli called “intention to bestow.” That is, only the lack, his lack of desire to bestow, is what the lower one should exert to have.

But regarding the will to receive, it cannot be said that there is an awakening of the lower ones for this because if the desire to receive still does not exist in the world, who would ask to be given a desire to want to receive pleasure? It is impossible to say that before a person is born, he wants something. This is why we say that the will to receive belongs entirely to the Creator.

But afterwards, once the will to receive pleasures has been born, comes the time when a person feels that this will to receive, without additions, but as it came from nature, is bad because he cannot receive real pleasures with this desire, but only as a “thin light,” which the Creator has given to the Klipot [shells/peels] so they would not be canceled. When a person comes to this awareness, he receives a need to have the ability to aim to bestow. Before he has the need for this, he cannot be given the Kli, as was said that “there is no light without a Kli,” and a Kli is called “need” and “lack.” That lack is not apparent as such unless he suffers torments and pains from needing this thing and not having it.

A regular lack is when a person sees that he does not have something and understands that he needs it. However, if he knows that he can live without it, it still cannot be said about him that he has a real lack. A real lack means that he knows that without the thing he lacks, he cannot go on living. This is called a “real need.”

It is likewise in the work: Many times a person knows, understands, and feels that he is lacking the desire to bestow. He asks the Creator to give him the ability to overcome the body called “will to receive,” and he knows that he has already asked the Creator several times but the Creator did not want to listen to him. Seeing that he still did not receive this strength from the Creator puts him off and he does not have the strength to ask the Creator once again to give him what he wants, since he sees that the Creator is not listening to him. Hence, he can no longer pray to the Creator.

But in truth, we should say that a person still does not have the real need for the Creator’s help. The need that the person has, where he sees that he is unable to aim to bestow, is still not regarded as a real need. Rather, a real need means that he sees that if he does not have what he needs, he cannot exist in the world. This is regarded as a real need.

For this reason, when a person realizes that unless he obtains the desire to bestow he will be separated from Kedusha, and he has no hope of ever achieving spirituality, called “Dvekut with the Creator,” but he will be constantly immersed in self-love and have no chance of entering Kedusha, and he will remain in the Klipot, and this pains him and he says, “In that case, I am better off dead than alive,” this is called “a real need.” Then, when a person prays that the Creator will grant him the vessels of bestowal, this is called a “real need,” and it is only this that we can attribute to the lower ones, meaning the lack, that he is lacking vessels of bestowal. This is called a Kli, meaning a need.

The filling for this, meaning the desire to bestow, belongs to the Creator. In other words, as the Creator has given the first Kli, which is the will to receive, He also gives the Kli called “desire to bestow.” The only difference between the first Kli called “will to receive,” and the Kli called “desire to bestow,” is that the first Kli was without an awakening of the lower one, since before he was born, who would ask? But afterwards, when the will to receive was born, he began to feel what that will to receive is causing him. To the extent of the understanding of the need for vessels of bestowal, so does a person awaken to feel the need, and it is only the need for vessels of bestowal that we attribute to the creatures.

Accordingly, we can interpret what we say and ask, “Grant me the treasure of a free gift.” This is perplexing, since we need to serve the Creator not in order to receive reward, much less ask for a free gift. So, why does it say (in the prayer, May It Please, before saying Psalms) “Grant me the treasure of a free gift?”

The meaning is “Give us a free gift, grant me.” That is, give us the gift of the vessel of bestowal, just as You have given us the Kli of the will to receive. We are asking You, since we feel the need for the vessel of bestowal. And what are the vessels of bestowal? To be able to work for free, without any reward, but rather that our work will be only in order to bestow. That is, in the first Kli, called “will to receive,” a person can only work for a reward, and this Kli is called “a new Kli,” a new creation that did not exist before He has created it.

Now, give us a Kli, meaning a desire from Your treasure. And what is it? The desire to bestow. This was also before He has created the will to receive, for the desire to bestow is the reason for the desire to receive. The desire to bestow is called “existence from existence,” and the will to receive is called “existence from absence, since it is known that there is no will to receive in the Creator because from whom would He receive? For this reason, we ask for “the treasure of a free gift,” meaning from Your treasure. Since You have a desire to bestow, You give that desire for free. Give it to us, so we, too, can work for free, without receiving reward.

By this we will understand what we asked, How can we ask the Creator to give us a free gift? The meaning is that we are asking the Creator to give us the ability to serve Him for free. In other words, the vessel of reception that a person receives is called “a free gift.”

Thus, what is the gift that one should ask the Creator to give him? We asked, How can one ask for presents, since it is known that you can ask for charity, but a gift? Who asks for gifts? Normally, we give gifts to those we love.

The answer is that since a person wants to love the Creator, and since the will to receive is the obstructor, a person asks for this gift called vessels of bestowal, where through this gift that he will receive from the Creator, a person will be rewarded with the love of the Creator and not with self-love. This is why it is called a “gift,” and this is what a person should ask.

This is the meaning of what we asked, What gift should one ask of the Creator, which is permitted to ask, and on which our work in Torah and Mitzvot stand, where by observing them we will receive a need for this request and understand that “they are our lives and the length of our days”? That need is that we are lacking Dvekut with the Creator, called “equivalence of form,” by which we can adhere to the Life of Lives. And if we are not rewarded with Dvekut and remain in self-love, we will be separated from the Life of Lives, which is the meaning of “the wicked in their lives are called ‘dead,’” due to the separation between them.

Concerning the request for the gift, the main point is the need for the matter. Through Torah and Mitzvot we receive a need, and through the need there is room to ask for this gift, regarded as Him giving us the Kli called “desire to bestow upon the Creator.”

It is written about it (Hagigah 7): “As I am for free, you are for free.” In other words, a person should exert to work in order to bestow and not want to receive any reward. Although the Gemara interprets this differently, this, too, is implied there, as it is called Dvekut.

According to the above, we can interpret what we say in the blessing for the food, that even on Shabbat [Sabbath], when it is forbidden to speak of mundane matters, we ask the Creator, “Do not make us need the gift of flesh and blood.” Such a prayer is suitable on weekdays, when we ask for provision, but not on Shabbat.

We should interpret that the request on Shabbat not to “need the gift of flesh and blood” refers to the Kelim of flesh and blood, which flesh and blood use, namely vessels of reception. They ask the Creator to help them not need to use their Kelim, but the Kelim of the Creator, which are vessels of bestowal, and on these Kelim we ask of the Creator, for they are Kelim of a free gift.

Inapoi la pagina 1987 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Inapoi la pagina 1987 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

What Is the Gift that a Person Asks of the Creator?

Article No. 22, Tav-Shin-Mem-Zayin, 1986-87

It is written in The Zohar (Pinhas, Item 180): “It is written, ‘My God, save Your servant.’ ‘Delight the soul of Your servant.’ ‘Give Your strength to Your servant.’ Three times did David become a servant in this praise, corresponding to the three times that the authors of the Mishnah established that man should be a servant in the prayer. In the first blessings, he should be as a servant who praises his teacher. In the middle ones, he is as a servant who asks for a gift from his teacher. In the last blessings, he is as a servant who thanks his teacher for the gift he has received from him, and he walks away.”

We should understand why they compared man’s prayer to a servant receiving a gift from his teacher, and not to charity or other things. What does this teach us in the work?

It is known that from the Creator, two things come to us directly: 1) the light, 2) the Kli [vessel] to receive the light.

1) We learned that the purpose of creation is His will to do good to His creations. It follows that the Creator wanted to do good to the creatures even without an awakening from the lower ones, for there were still no creatures in the world from whom to receive awakening. This is regarded as the light coming from the Creator without any involvement of the lower one.

2) The Creator created—existence from absence—a Kli called “desire and yearning to receive delight and pleasure.” This means that what we see is as in “By Your actions we know You,” meaning that we speak only of what we see that exists in the nature of creation. We see that it is impossible to enjoy anything, whatever it is, unless there is a yearning for it. For this reason, we learned that from the perspective of the light that created this Kli, called “will to receive,” it underwent four Behinot[discernments], meaning four stages until the will to receive acquired the complete form of yearning. After the light created the Kli, this Kli received the delight and pleasure that He wished to give.

These two above-mentioned things, the light and the Kli, pertain to the Creator. We learn that in this respect, there was complete perfection and there is nothing to add to this.

However, afterwards, something new was born, which we attribute to the creature and not to the Creator. In other words, we attribute the matter of giving to the Creator, who is the giver, for His desire is to do good to His creations, which is to give abundance to the creatures and receive nothing from them. Yet, afterward, something new was made, as it is written in The Study of the Ten Sefirot(Part 1), that the first receiver, called Malchut de Ein Sof, craved a decoration called “decoration at the point of desire”: to have equivalence of form called Dvekut [adhesion]. For this reason, the Tzimtzum [restriction] was made, meaning that she diminished her will to receive on the Kli called “will to receive,” hence the light departed.

Malchut invented a new Kli, called “will to bestow,” meaning not to receive delight and pleasure according to the level of the yearning for the light, but according to the level of her desire to bestow. This means that Malchut calculated how many percent of the abundance she could receive with the aim to bestow. On the part she would receive in order to receive, if she were to receive, she would not receive.

It follows that we attribute this Kli, which the lower one gives, to the lower one, since the Kelim[vessels] of the upper one, which the upper has made in order for the lower one to be able to enjoy the light, is only the will to receive. That Kli will never be revoked because what the Creator has created must always exist.

However, the lower one can add to the Kli of the Creator, as it is written, “Which God has created to do.” This means that God has created the Kli called “desire to receive pleasure,” and man must add to it a correction called “the intention to bestow,” as was said above, that Malchut de Ein Sof decorated herself at the point of the desire. This means that her decoration was in that she placed on the will to receive the aim to bestow.

There, in Malchut de Ein Sof, was only the root. From her, it extended to the lower ones that it is forbidden to receive, following the rule, “A desire in the upper one becomes a binding law in the lower one.” It extended from this discernment until the Sitra Achra [other side] was born—the opposite of Kedusha [holiness/sanctity]. In Kedusha, there is only the desire to bestow, which is Dvekut. But those who want to receive in order to receive become removed and separated from the Life of Lives. For this reason, they said in The Zohar, “The wicked in their lives are called ‘dead,’” and said the verse, “The grace of the nations is a sin,” about the wicked, “All the good that they do, they do for themselves.”

It therefore follows that Creator gives two things directly to the creature: 1) the delight and pleasure, 2) the desire to yearn for pleasures.

However, unpleasantness, called “shame,” extends indirectly from the Creator. That is, the Creator wants the lower one to receive delight and not suffering, but indirectly, meaning that the upper one, the Giver, does not want the lower one to feel shame upon reception of the delight.

This is why the correction of the Tzimtzum was made. Because of the Tzimtzum, the abundance does not come to the Kelim [vessels] that the Creator has made, unless the creature has placed a correction of the intention to bestow on the Kli. If a person does not have this Kli, he remains in the dark without light, and the name The Good Who Does Good is hidden from him because he does not have the right Kelim for reception of the abundance, which is called “equivalence of form.”

It follows that the whole novelty that was made after the Tzimtzum is that only the aim to bestow is missing, but the two discernments that extended prior to the Tzimtzum did not change. In other words, in the first Behina [discernment], which is His desire to do good, there was no change, and after the Tzimtzum He still wants to impart delight and pleasure. In the second Behina, which is the will to receive, there was also no change. It is as we learn that there are no changes in spirituality, but only additions. It follows that after the Tzimtzum, it is impossible to receive any upper abundance unless we add to the will to receive the aim to bestow. This is all of our work in Torah and Mitzvot[commandments]: to be rewarded with vessels of bestowal.

Our sages said about this (Kidushin 30), “I have created the evil inclination; I have created the spice of Torah.” It is known that the will to receive is called “evil inclination” because it causes remoteness from the Creator, since it is in disparity of form from the Creator. The Creator aims to bestow, whereas the evil inclination wants only to receive. For this reason, all the delight and pleasure in the thought of creation is hidden from it.

However, how can we obtain these Kelim, since this is against our nature?

The answer is that this is why we were given the Torah and Mitzvot. Through them, we can obtain these Kelim. Yet, why are not everyone awarded with vessels of bestowal through Torah and Mitzvot? The reason is that there is no light without a Kli.

It follows that if a person does not know for certain that all we need are only these Kelim, he still does not have real Kelim. In other words, he does not have a need for these Kelim. It follows that the light is in Torah and Mitzvot, which can assist a person to attain in these Kelim, but he does not have a real need to be given these Kelim.

If we look a little deeper in, and thoroughly examine those who observe Torah and Mitzvot, whether they want to be given vessels of bestowal and to give in return the will to receive, the vast majority of the workers will say that they pass on this. Instead, they want to observe Torah and Mitzvot in order to receive. It follows that they have no need for vessels of bestowal. For this reason, how can they say that the Torah and Mitzvot they labor in should give them a reward for which they have no need? On the contrary, they are afraid lest they will lose the vessel of reception called “self-love.”

This is as Maimonides says (end of Hilchot Teshuva), “Our sages said, ‘One should always engage in Torah, even if Lo Lishma [not for Her sake], since from Lo Lishma he will come to Lishma [for Her sake]. Therefore, when teaching little ones, 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 the matter calmly until they attain Him and serve Him with love.’”

It therefore follows that one should yearn to obtain vessels of bestowal. Although he sees that the will to receive disagrees with it, meaning that it does not let him pray that the Creator will give him these Kelim, for that, too, one must pray to the Creator to give him a desire to understand the necessity that there is in these Kelim. He asks the Creator to have the strength to overcome the desire of the body, which wants to remain specifically in vessels of reception. Moreover, when he sees that a desire can emerge from this thing—that the person will later want to come to vessels of bestowal—he promptly feels this and begins to instantaneously resist.

However, a person does not come easily into seeing that he cannot work in order to bestow. Instead, a person thinks that now he still does not have the desire to bestow, but whenever he wants to work in order to bestow, the choice is in his hands, meaning he will be able to work in order to bestow. The awareness that he thinks he has calms him down so as not to be impressed by the fact that he is not engaging in work of bestowal, since whenever he chooses, he will be able to. For this reason, he is not worried about this.

However, the truth is that this is not within man’s power, as it is against human nature. Our sages said about this: “Man’s inclination overcomes him every day. If the Creator does not help him, he will not overcome it.” However, in order to receive help, a person must see and exert to have a need for His help. This is why it was said, “He who comes to purify,” then the Creator helps him.

We asked, Why does man have to begin the work and only then the Creator helps him? Why does the Creator not give him this strength right away, meaning that even if a person does not ask for help, the Creator will help him as soon as he begins the work of the Creator? According to the rule that there is no light without a Kli, a person must begin. When a person sees that he cannot, he has a need for the Creator’s help. Therefore, specifically when one has begun the work and sees he is unable, in that state he receives a Kli for the Creator to impart him this force, called “desire to bestow.”

However, normally, when a person begins the work of bestowal and sees that it is difficult for him, and sees that in his view, he has already asked the Creator many times to help him but received no help at all, a person escapes the campaign and says that this work is not for him. Indeed, precisely in this place, when he has resolved that this is difficult for him alone and only the Creator can help, a person must trust the Creator that He will help him.

However, this still does not complete the Kli, meaning the need for His help. Each time he asks for help, although he still does not feel His help, we must believe above reason that the Creator does help, but that we still do not need to see in order to reveal the real need for this.

According to the above, we should interpret that the verse, “For the ways of the Lord are straight. The righteous walk in it and the wicked fail in them.” This means that precisely at this point, when a person comes to a resolution that it is not within man’s power to obtain vessels of bestowal because he sees that not a single organ in his body agrees to this, now he has arrived at the point of truth. Now he should make an honest prayer for the Creator to help him. Certainly, he will receive the help from the Creator, who sits and waits for man to give him the Kli, meaning the need for it. It is precisely here that a person escapes from that state, and precisely here is where the help can come to him. Yet, he escapes the campaign and for this reason he is called “a criminal.”

Yet, the righteous does not despair because specifically now he is rewarded with vessels of bestowal. It follows that in the same place where “the righteous walk,” meaning receive an ascent in degree, in that very same place “the wicked fail.” Precisely in this place where they should receive help, they fail and escape the campaign.

It follows from all the above that man should ask for the Creator’s giving, meaning that the Creator will give him as a gift the vessels of reception, just as He has given him the Kli called “will to receive.” In other words, on one hand, we say that the Creator has given the Kli and the light, meaning both the desire and the yearning to receive the pleasure, as well as the pleasure. Only the addition to the Kli, which is the will to bestow, we attribute to the creatures, as it is written, “Which God has created to do.” “Which has created” refers to the will to receive, called “created,” which is something made existence from absence, called “creation.” On this, man should place the aim to bestow, meaning that this really does belong to the creatures and not to the Creator.

However, the truth is that the Creator should give even this Kli, called “addition.” When we say that this pertains to the creatures, it means that man should ask the Creator to give him this Kli called “intention to bestow.” That is, only the lack, his lack of desire to bestow, is what the lower one should exert to have.

But regarding the will to receive, it cannot be said that there is an awakening of the lower ones for this because if the desire to receive still does not exist in the world, who would ask to be given a desire to want to receive pleasure? It is impossible to say that before a person is born, he wants something. This is why we say that the will to receive belongs entirely to the Creator.

But afterwards, once the will to receive pleasures has been born, comes the time when a person feels that this will to receive, without additions, but as it came from nature, is bad because he cannot receive real pleasures with this desire, but only as a “thin light,” which the Creator has given to the Klipot [shells/peels] so they would not be canceled. When a person comes to this awareness, he receives a need to have the ability to aim to bestow. Before he has the need for this, he cannot be given the Kli, as was said that “there is no light without a Kli,” and a Kli is called “need” and “lack.” That lack is not apparent as such unless he suffers torments and pains from needing this thing and not having it.

A regular lack is when a person sees that he does not have something and understands that he needs it. However, if he knows that he can live without it, it still cannot be said about him that he has a real lack. A real lack means that he knows that without the thing he lacks, he cannot go on living. This is called a “real need.”

It is likewise in the work: Many times a person knows, understands, and feels that he is lacking the desire to bestow. He asks the Creator to give him the ability to overcome the body called “will to receive,” and he knows that he has already asked the Creator several times but the Creator did not want to listen to him. Seeing that he still did not receive this strength from the Creator puts him off and he does not have the strength to ask the Creator once again to give him what he wants, since he sees that the Creator is not listening to him. Hence, he can no longer pray to the Creator.

But in truth, we should say that a person still does not have the real need for the Creator’s help. The need that the person has, where he sees that he is unable to aim to bestow, is still not regarded as a real need. Rather, a real need means that he sees that if he does not have what he needs, he cannot exist in the world. This is regarded as a real need.

For this reason, when a person realizes that unless he obtains the desire to bestow he will be separated from Kedusha, and he has no hope of ever achieving spirituality, called “Dvekut with the Creator,” but he will be constantly immersed in self-love and have no chance of entering Kedusha, and he will remain in the Klipot, and this pains him and he says, “In that case, I am better off dead than alive,” this is called “a real need.” Then, when a person prays that the Creator will grant him the vessels of bestowal, this is called a “real need,” and it is only this that we can attribute to the lower ones, meaning the lack, that he is lacking vessels of bestowal. This is called a Kli, meaning a need.

The filling for this, meaning the desire to bestow, belongs to the Creator. In other words, as the Creator has given the first Kli, which is the will to receive, He also gives the Kli called “desire to bestow.” The only difference between the first Kli called “will to receive,” and the Kli called “desire to bestow,” is that the first Kli was without an awakening of the lower one, since before he was born, who would ask? But afterwards, when the will to receive was born, he began to feel what that will to receive is causing him. To the extent of the understanding of the need for vessels of bestowal, so does a person awaken to feel the need, and it is only the need for vessels of bestowal that we attribute to the creatures.

Accordingly, we can interpret what we say and ask, “Grant me the treasure of a free gift.” This is perplexing, since we need to serve the Creator not in order to receive reward, much less ask for a free gift. So, why does it say (in the prayer, May It Please, before saying Psalms) “Grant me the treasure of a free gift?”

The meaning is “Give us a free gift, grant me.” That is, give us the gift of the vessel of bestowal, just as You have given us the Kli of the will to receive. We are asking You, since we feel the need for the vessel of bestowal. And what are the vessels of bestowal? To be able to work for free, without any reward, but rather that our work will be only in order to bestow. That is, in the first Kli, called “will to receive,” a person can only work for a reward, and this Kli is called “a new Kli,” a new creation that did not exist before He has created it.

Now, give us a Kli, meaning a desire from Your treasure. And what is it? The desire to bestow. This was also before He has created the will to receive, for the desire to bestow is the reason for the desire to receive. The desire to bestow is called “existence from existence,” and the will to receive is called “existence from absence, since it is known that there is no will to receive in the Creator because from whom would He receive? For this reason, we ask for “the treasure of a free gift,” meaning from Your treasure. Since You have a desire to bestow, You give that desire for free. Give it to us, so we, too, can work for free, without receiving reward.

By this we will understand what we asked, How can we ask the Creator to give us a free gift? The meaning is that we are asking the Creator to give us the ability to serve Him for free. In other words, the vessel of reception that a person receives is called “a free gift.”

Thus, what is the gift that one should ask the Creator to give him? We asked, How can one ask for presents, since it is known that you can ask for charity, but a gift? Who asks for gifts? Normally, we give gifts to those we love.

The answer is that since a person wants to love the Creator, and since the will to receive is the obstructor, a person asks for this gift called vessels of bestowal, where through this gift that he will receive from the Creator, a person will be rewarded with the love of the Creator and not with self-love. This is why it is called a “gift,” and this is what a person should ask.

This is the meaning of what we asked, What gift should one ask of the Creator, which is permitted to ask, and on which our work in Torah and Mitzvot stand, where by observing them we will receive a need for this request and understand that “they are our lives and the length of our days”? That need is that we are lacking Dvekut with the Creator, called “equivalence of form,” by which we can adhere to the Life of Lives. And if we are not rewarded with Dvekut and remain in self-love, we will be separated from the Life of Lives, which is the meaning of “the wicked in their lives are called ‘dead,’” due to the separation between them.

Concerning the request for the gift, the main point is the need for the matter. Through Torah and Mitzvot we receive a need, and through the need there is room to ask for this gift, regarded as Him giving us the Kli called “desire to bestow upon the Creator.”

It is written about it (Hagigah 7): “As I am for free, you are for free.” In other words, a person should exert to work in order to bestow and not want to receive any reward. Although the Gemara interprets this differently, this, too, is implied there, as it is called Dvekut.

According to the above, we can interpret what we say in the blessing for the food, that even on Shabbat [Sabbath], when it is forbidden to speak of mundane matters, we ask the Creator, “Do not make us need the gift of flesh and blood.” Such a prayer is suitable on weekdays, when we ask for provision, but not on Shabbat.

We should interpret that the request on Shabbat not to “need the gift of flesh and blood” refers to the Kelim of flesh and blood, which flesh and blood use, namely vessels of reception. They ask the Creator to help them not need to use their Kelim, but the Kelim of the Creator, which are vessels of bestowal, and on these Kelim we ask of the Creator, for they are Kelim of a free gift.

Inapoi la pagina 1987 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Inapoi la pagina 1987 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

What Are Dirty Hands in the Work of the Creator?

Article No. 21, Tav-Shin-Mem-Zayin, 1986-87

The Zohar says in Balak (Item 43) about the verse, “When they come to the tent of meeting, they shall wash in water and will not die”: We learn from this verse that “One who is not concerned with this and appears before the King with dirty hands must die. What is the reason? It is because man’s hands are at the top of the world, where he (The Hassid Rabbi Shmaiah) said that every filth and every dirt goes up to the Sitra Achra because the Sitra Achra feeds on that filth and dirt. This is why the Hassid, Rabbi Shmaiah, said that one who blesses with dirty hands must die.”

We should understand why this prohibition is so grave that one who blesses the Creator, who does something good, if his hands are dirty he must die. Can this be? That is, if he did not bless the Creator, he would not have to die. But if he blesses the Creator but his hands are unclean then he deserves death for it. And we should also understand why he says that man’s hands are at the top of the world. What does this imply to us in the work of the Creator?

It is known that our purpose in the work of the Creator is to achieve Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator, which is equivalence of form, as our sages said, “As He is merciful, so you are merciful.” This is all that we must do.

In other words, the reward for all the labor that we do in Torah and Mitzvot [commandments] should be that we will be rewarded with vessels of bestowal, which are Kelim [vessels] of Dvekut. Beyond that, the Creator gives everything.

It is known that from the perspective of the Creator, the purpose of creation is to do good to His creations, meaning for the creatures to receive delight and pleasure. However, in order for the delight and pleasure to be complete when the lower ones receive, and so as not to have shame in them, to establish this there was a judgment that it is forbidden to receive any pleasure in order to receive, but rather in order to bestow.

And since by nature, man is born with a will to receive in order to receive, and it is known that it is hard to go against nature, this causes us work and labor when we want to begin to walk on the path of bestowal and to avoid receiving anything in vessels of reception, but rather in vessels of bestowal, called “receiving in order to bestow.”

It therefore follows that for the Kelim to be ready to receive the upper abundance, they must be in equivalence of form with the light. If they are not, there is a judgment because of the Tzimtzum[restriction] that was placed, whereby that Kli [vessel] must remain in an empty space. For this reason, all of our labor is to provide for ourselves clean Kelim, called Ohr Hozer [Reflected Light]. This means that as the Creator wants to bestow upon the creatures, the creatures want to bestow upon the Creator.

In other words, there is the Ohr Yashar [Direct Light], meaning that the abundance that comes from the Creator to the lower ones is called Yashar [straight/direct], meaning that the intention of creation to do good to His creations was about this. This is called Ohr Yashar. However, when Malchut of Ein Sof [infinity] received the Ohr Yashar, she desired Dvekut, called “equivalence of form.” For this reason, Malchut does not receive more Ohr Yashar than she has Ohr Hozer. In other words, the measuring she does on how much abundance to receive by looking at how much she can aim to bestow upon the Creator, which is called “light that returns to the Creator.”

It is known that the main reward we hope to receive in return for the work in Torah and Mitzvot is only to receive that Ohr Hozer, as it is said in the preface to the book Panim Meirot uMasbirot (Item 3): “Know that the Masach [screen] in the Kli of Malchut is the root of the darkness by the force of detaining that exists in the Masach on the upper light, not to expand in Behina Dalet. This is also the root of the labor in order to receive reward because labor is an act that is not desirable, as the worker is content only when he rests. However, because the landlord pays his salary, he revokes his will before the will of the landlord. You should know that there is not a thing or a conduct in this world that is not rooted in the upper worlds, from which branches spread into the lower worlds. It follows that the power of detaining in the Masach is equal to the level of the labor, and the salary that the landlord gives to the worker is rooted in the Ohr Hozer that emerges through a Zivug de Hakaawhereby through the Masach, a root for the Ohr Hozer is made, and all the benefit in this comes to her because of the above-mentioned detainment.”

We therefore see that one must make an effort in order to receive reward. What is the reward we hope for? The reward is that we will obtain vessels of bestowal. That is, through the labor, which is the root of the Masach, when we detain ourselves from receiving into our will to receive, meaning for our own sake, what do we want in return for this detainment? We want the Creator to give us a desire—that we will want to please the Creator.

This means that we give our desire to the Creator and we do not want to use it. In return for this, He will give us His desire. That is, as the Creator’s desire is to bestow upon the creatures, He will give us the desire to bestow contentment upon Him, and this will be our reward. In other words, we want Him to change the Kelim we have by nature, called “receiving in order to receive.” What we have we relinquish, and receive in return the vessels of bestowal.

This is as our sages said (Avot, Chapter 2, 4), “Revoke your will before His will so that He will revoke the will of others before your will.” This means that a person should revoke his will to receive, which is the Masach we spoke of earlier, being the root of the labor and what detains the will to receive before the will to bestow, for the will to bestow is called “the will of the Creator,” and it revokes the desire for self-benefit before the Creator’s benefit.

However, man has no power to go against nature. Our sages said about this, “He who comes to purify is aided,” so he may revoke the will of others. In other words, all the desires that awaken in the body and resist his having the ability to engage in the desire to bestow—the Creator does this. In other words, the Creator gives him the ability to revoke. It was said, “so that He will revoke the will of others before your will”: You want to engage in the desire to bestow but you cannot; your reward will be that you will receive assistance from the Creator.

This means that in order for the Creator to revoke the will of others, meaning the will to receive, which is the will of others, and not of Kedusha [sanctity], a person must first begin this work, and then the Creator gives him the assistance required for it. This is so for the known reason that there is no light without a Kli [vessel].” That is, nothing comes from above unless there is a desire below, since the desire is called the need for it.

This is the meaning of what our sages said, “Revoke your will,” meaning the will to receive, “before His will,” meaning before the will of the Creator, for the will of the Creator is to bestow. Then, when you begin, according to the labor you will give in order to revoke the will to receive, to that extent, the need to ask the Creator to help you will form, and then you receive a complete desire and need for His help.

Saying “Revoke your will” means that a person should begin to revoke the will to receive “before His will,” meaning before the desire to bestow, which is the Creator’s will. “So that He will revoke the will of others before your will” means that once you have a desire and need for the desire to bestow, but you cannot revoke the will to receive, the assistance comes from above, meaning it “revokes the will of others,” which are not of Kedusha, pertaining to the will to receive. “Before your will” means that now your will is to be in Kedusha, for the work to be in order to bestow. Now a person receives this strength, meaning comes out of the governance of the will of others, meaning the Sitra Achra [other side], which is only to receive and not to bestow, and now he uses the vessels of bestowal.

According to the above, we can interpret what we asked about what The Zohar said, “Man’s hands are at the top of the world.” What does this imply in the work? It is known that hands imply man’s vessels of reception. This comes from the verse, “For the hand attains.” It is as was said (Ketubot83a), “My hand is removed from her,” meaning that he removes himself from ownership over the field.

“[The hands] are at the top of the world” means that the existence of the world depends on the hands, which are man’s vessels of reception. In other words, the purpose of creation, which is to do good to His creations, should be received in man’s hands. In other words, if the hands, which are man’s vessels of reception, are fine, meaning clean, and have equivalence of form with the Creator, meaning that they are in order to bestow, under such conditions, the upper abundance expands to the lower ones. However, if the hands, namely the vessels of reception, are not clean, it is necessary to stop the upper abundance from coming to the lower ones, since the vessels of reception do not belong to Kedusha, but only to the Klipot [shells/peels].

It is known that all the lower branches follow the upper roots. For this reason, in corporeality, too, when a person wants to place something in some Kli, he cleans the Kli and washes it with water. If the Kli is too dirty, he uses a detergent to clean the Kli. Otherwise, he will spoil the food or drink or clothes that he will place in the Kli.

If he places expensive clothes, he even cleans the suitcase, all in order to avoid spoiling the things or the food. If he does not follow the correct order and places objects or food in dirty Kelim [vessels], everything goes to the outer ones. This means that a person takes everything in his hands and gives them to the outer ones, meaning throws out the food and the objects and does not keep them in the house.

It is likewise in the ways of the work: If a person’s hands are unclean and can spoil the abundance to the point that he takes the abundance and transfers it to the outer ones, meaning if his Kelim are dirty with the will to receive for himself, which is in oppositeness of form from Kedusha, the abundance goes to the Klipot. It is so because he places the abundance that had to be in Kelim of Kedusha—which are vessels of bestowal—into the Klipot, by which the Klipot grow much stronger.

Now we will understand why it says, “Every filth and every dirt goes up to the Sitra Achra because the Sitra Achra feeds on that filth and dirt.” As we explained, dirt and filth are vessels of reception for one’s own benefit. When his intention is not the benefit of the Creator, this is really the Sitra Achra, meaning the “other side,” which does not belong to Kedusha. Kedusha is called “bestowal,” as was said, “You will be holy, for I am holy,” which means that as the Creator gives, likewise, the creatures should engage only in giving.

It therefore turns out that if a person works in order to receive and not in order to bestow, he is providing for the Sitra Achra, for they are only about reception and not about bestowal. This is the meaning of the verse, “Every filth and every dirt goes up to the Sitra Achra,” who are sustained only by the vessels of reception.

This is as he says in The Study of the Ten Sefirot (Part 11, Ohr Pnimi): “Even on weekdays, the Melachim [kings] and the Klipot take their nourishments from Atzilut, as a thin light. This is done by the iniquities of the lower ones, who always cause lights of Hassadim to retire from illumination of Hochma and descend to the Klipot for their nourishment, and even more than is necessary for them.”

It is also written there, “Yet, the whole grip of the Sitra Achra, which can be on the day of Shabbat, for when a person moves from the private domain to the public domain, he causes lights of Hassadimto spread from Atzilut to the place of BYA, and they must spread without illumination of Hochma. Because of this, they die, and as a result, there is the matter of ‘He who desecrates her shall be put to death.’ Because they cause the exit of the lights from the domain of Atzilut and retire from illumination of Hochma, their punishment is to die. This is the meaning of ‘He who desecrates her shall be put to death.’”

Accordingly, we see that through the iniquities, they cause spreading of Kedusha to the Klipot, and all the sins come only from the will to receive. By this they cause death in the lights of Hassadim. For this reason, the punishment in terms of the work is death, as he says, “He who desecrates her shall be put to death.” This is why it was said, “one who blesses with dirty hands,” whose vessels of reception are unclean so as to work in order to bestow, but are dirty with the will to receive, “must die,” since he caused death in the light of Hassadim.

Hence, when a person blesses the Creator, meaning when he wants to extend blessings, but his hands are dirty with the will to receive in order to receive, and the abundance he wishes to draw will all go to the Klipot, which are called “dead,” at that time a person is in a state of “The wicked in their lives are called ‘dead.’” In other words, although he wants to extend life, which is called “in their lives,” he is still in the state of “wicked.” That is, he does not want to work for the sake of the Creator but for his own sake, and this is separation from the Kedusha. Also, the wicked are called “dead” because they cause the abundance go to the Klipot, as he says about the verse, “He who desecrates her shall be put to death.”

Therefore, when a person wants to walk on the path of truth, to observe Torah and Mitzvot in order to bestow, what should he do? The advice for this is to first of all aim before every action, which reward he expects for the actions he is about to do. At that time he needs to tell himself, “Since I want to serve the Creator, and since I cannot, since the will to receive within me will not let me, hence, through the actions I am about to do, the Creator will give me the real desire to bring contentment to the Creator, and I believe in our sages, who said,‘The Creator wanted to refine Israel, therefore He gave them plentiful Torah and Mitzvot.’”

Inapoi la pagina 1987 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Inapoi la pagina 1987 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

What Is Man’s Private Possession?

Article No. 20, Tav-Shin-Mem-Zayin, 1986-87

The Zohar (Korah, Item 4) interprets the verse, “And Korah took.” It asks, “What is ‘took’”? And it replies, he “took a bad advice for himself. Anyone who chases what is not his, it escapes him. Moreover, he loses even what he has. Korah chased what was not his; he lost what was his and did not win the other one.”

We should understand in terms of the work, what is the thing that we can say that it belongs to a person, that we can say that it is his, and what is the thing of which we want to say that it is not his. The Zohar says about Korah that he chased what was not his and lost what was his, as well. What do these words tell us in the work, so that a person will know how to keep himself from Korah’s punishment?

It is known that the primary innovation in creation is the will to receive, as it is written (The Study of the Ten Sefirot, Part 1, Histaklut Pnimit), “His desire is to do good to His creations, which is the connection between the Creator and the created beings. He has created a deficiency, meaning a desire and craving to yearn to receive delight and pleasure. Otherwise, it is impossible to enjoy anything.”

It is known that it is forbidden to speak of that which preceded creation. Instead, all that we speak of is by way of “By Your actions, we know You.” This means that we speak of that which exists in the creatures. Yet, why did the Creator make such a reality? He could have done it differently! Of this, we are forbidden to speak.

We see the nature that is in creation, that it is impossible to enjoy anything unless there is craving for it. Moreover, the craving for something determines the amount of pleasure that we can derive from the thing we crave.

For this reason, we attribute this Kli [vessel], called “will to receive delight and pleasure,” to the Klithat the Creator has made. We have no permission or ability to revoke this Kli, or to spoil that will to receive. Once that Kli has come out and received the abundance that the Creator wanted to give her, the Kli felt that the root is the giver and the Kli is the receiver, that there is no equivalence of form here. For this reason, the Kli desired to be a giver like her root. She placed a Tzimtzum [restriction] on the quality of reception in a manner that the Kli is a receiver and the Emanator is the giver. Instead, she said that she will not receive anything but only to the extent that she can receive in order to bestow.

We attribute that Kli, who receives only if it is in order to bestow, to the creature, since this is an opposite action from what the Creator has created. The Creator created the lower one to receive, as this is the purpose of creation, called “His desire to do good to His creations,” so the creatures will enjoy. But the lower one took the opposite action: It wants the Creator to enjoy. This is its gauge; it does not consider itself, its own pleasure, and in every act it calculates whether it should do this or not.

In other words, if it brings contentment to the Creator, it will do it. But if it does not see that it will bring contentment to the Creator, it avoids taking this action. This means that all the calculations it does prior to any operation are according to the ability to delight the Creator.

The abundance that spreads over this Kli, called “in order to bestow,” is called “the light of line.” It means that the light illuminates according to a line and a measure that the receiver can aim to bestow, which is equivalence of form. It does not regard its own pleasure because it wants Dvekut[adhesion]. Hence, it turns out that all the many worlds and Partzufim and Sefirot were made because of the receivers.

This means that while the light was illuminating in the Kli of the Creator, called “desire to receive in order to receive,” called Malchut, that Kli had the ability to receive the delight and pleasure that was in the thought of creation because certainly, to the extent of delight and pleasure that He wants to give, He has created the size of the Kli. Therefore, the Kli received all the light and there was only one, simple light there, as it is written in the book Tree of Life, that “Prior to the Tzimtzum, the upper, simple light filled the whole of reality.”

In other words, Malchut, called “will to receive,” received all the abundance that He wanted to give, since that Kli came from the Emanator. For this reason, He certainly made the Kli whole, so she could receive what He wanted to give. But afterwards, Malchut said that she did not want to receive with the Kli of the Creator, but that she had her own Kli, which she has made. But since the lower one, who is the created being, cannot make a Kli like the Creator, instantaneously, but rather, the lower one is limited in what it should do, hence, that Kli was made slowly-slowly, according to the ability to aim in order to bestow.

Many degrees emerge from this, meaning that the light shines according to the ability of the Kelim[vessels] of the lower ones. He interprets likewise (The Study of the Ten Sefirot, Part 1) what the Tree of Life says, that the light expanded slowly-slowly. He asks, “How can it be said, ‘slowly-slowly,’ in spirituality, since there is no time there, and ‘slowly-slowly’ implies time?” He explains there in Ohr Pnimi [Baal HaSulam’s interpretation to the text of the ARI] that slowly-slowly means that the light does not expand at once, but by degrees, to the extent that the lower ones can receive in order to bestow. This is regarded as “slowly-slowly.”

It therefore follows that we have two Kelim: 1) The Kli that we attribute to the Creator. This is the Klicalled “will to receive in order to receive.” That Kli emerged in whole because from the perspective of the Creator, she has wholeness. 2) The Kli we attribute to the creature, namely the desire to bestow. That Kli is established slowly-slowly because the lower ones cannot make that Kli at once.

We should know that all of our work is based on a single point, meaning that the Torah and Mitzvot[commandments/good deeds] that we are commanded to observe are in order to obtain the Kli that we should make. We can make that Kli only through Torah and Mitzvot, as Rabbi Hananiah Ben Akashia says, “The Creator wanted to refine Israel, therefore He gave them plentiful Torah and Mitzvot, as was said, ‘The Lord desired for His righteousness; He will increase the Torah and glorify.’” It is also written in the essay “Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah,” And it is known that refinement comes from the word Hizdakchut [becoming refined]. It is as our sages said, that the Mitzvot were given only so as to cleanse Israel.”

It follows that we only need to make the Kli, called “vessel of bestowal.” We lack nothing else. It is as it is written, “And I will bless you in all that you do.” That is, “doing” refers to the Kli. If we make the Kli, the Creator will fill it with blessing, meaning abundance, called “His desire to do good to His creations.”

The vessel of bestowal is prepared for us in both mind and heart, since the Creator has given us a Klito receive. For this reason, we have a yearning to understand everything with our intellect, since that desire has given us the yearning to gain knowledge. This causes us to want to understand the Torah and Mitzvot. However, at the same time, we have a yearning to understand Providence, meaning that man contemplates how the Creator behaves with him in a manner of guidance of good and doing good.

Here we need to believe above reason. Since a desire to understand and learn was installed in the body, it is clear that a desire to understand the ways of the Creator has awakened in him. However, that desire to understand and to learn was said about the Torah, not about Providence. In other words, with this desire, with this force, we must understand everything only with regard to the Torah, and not with regard to Providence.

Baal HaSulam once explained what we say in the blessing, “Who has formed the man and created in him holes-holes, hollows-hollows. It is revealed and known before Your throne that should one of them open, or one of them become blocked, it will be impossible to exist and stand before You.” He said that the difference between “holes” and “hollows” is that a hole should be blocked, but a hollow should remain hollow.

Interpretation: There are “law” and “justice.” “Law” means that we should accept the matter as a law above reason. This is faith, and acceptance of faith should be above reason. It follows that lack of knowledge, understanding, and the intellect of something keeps it as a hollow, without knowledge. Each time, one must be careful not to fill up this hollow.

In the blessing, “who has created,” we say, “[should] one of them become blocked, it will be impossible to exist.” However, a hollow, meaning a place of lack of knowledge, must not be filled. Rather, we should always go above reason. This is called “mind,” in order to bestow.

This is not so with justice, which is the Torah. Here, specifically, is the place where one should try to do what he can in order to understand the Torah. The Torah is called “the names of the Creator,” and it is upon us to understand and attain. And here, in the Torah, the lack that is called “hole” should be blocked, meaning there should be no lack, and the more the better.

For this reason, we say, “should one of them be opened … it will be impossible to exist.” That is, “should one of them be opened” means that the hole will be opened, that there will be a hole and a lack in understanding the Torah. In such a state, a person has no existence or establishment, and instead, he should immediately see to filling that lack with the light of Torah, since the light of Torah reforms him. This is the Kli that is suitable to receive the upper abundance. Afterward, the light that is clothed in the Torah comes to him, called “613 deposits,” as it is written in the “Introduction of The Book of Zohar.”

However, normally, it is to the contrary. That is, the burden of the kingdom of heaven, which we should accept above reason, specifically here everyone wants to understand the Creator’s Providence over people within reason. But with regard to the Torah, here they agree to go above reason and do not place sufficient attention to understanding.

It is written in The Zohar (Hukat, Item 2): “This is the statute of the Torah.” It is also written, “This is the Torah,” and it is not written, “statute.” “This is the Torah” is to show that everything is in one unification, to include the assembly of Israel, which is Malchut, with the Creator, who is ZA, so that all will be one, without separation. “This” is general and particular together, meaning male and female together, since Vav is male, meaning ZA, which is the general. “This” is Nukva [female], meaning Malchut, who is particular. But “this” without an addition of Vav [in Hebrew] is the statute of the Torah. Of course, she is Malchut, called “statute,” and she comes from ZA, who is called “Torah.” She is only the judgment of the Torah, the decree of the Torah, which is Malchut.

We should understand the meaning of ZA being called “Torah” and “general,” and “male” and Vav, while Malchut is called “the judgment of the Torah,” “the decree of the Torah,” “particular,” Nukva, and the “assembly of Israel.”

According to the above, we can interpret that the Creator is called ZA, as the ARI says, that the guidance of the world is in the form of ZA and Malchut, where ZA is called “general,” meaning that everything extends from him. However, the one who receives from him, always takes only parts. That is, each time a part of the general appears in the parts. From that perspective, Malchut is called the “assembly of Israel,” assembling within her parts of Israel, who is called ZA. This is with regard to Malchut being the receiver of abundance from ZA.

However, there is another interpretation. Malchut is called the “assembly of Israel” because she contains all the souls. From that perspective, we should interpret that Malchut takes abundance from ZA and bestows upon the souls of Israel. However, we should discern between the bestowal of ZA, called “Torah,” and the bestowal of Malchut, called “the judgment of Torah” or “the decree of Torah,” which is called “statute.”

It is known that Malchut is called “faith,” meaning that the kingdom of heaven should be accepted as a law above reason, for such is the decree of Torah, to accept the faith above reason. This is the meaning of her being regarded as “mind.” Also, in the “heart,” there should also be above reason and not consider what the body explains to us about what we should do and what we should not. Instead, everything must be above reason.

But the Torah is regarded as “general,” meaning that everything extends from it. It means that doing good to His creations, which is the delight and pleasure, is included in His bestowal, and the strength to take upon himself the above reason is also included in the giver. That is, ZA, who is called “the Creator,” must give that force so that the lower one will have the strength to overcome its reason and go above reason.

This force is called “light,” and any light comes from the upper one. Only the Kli pertains to the lower one. A Kli means a lack, and a lack pertains to the lower ones. That is, if the lower one feels that he is lacking that force, meaning that he wants to go above reason but he cannot, this is called “a Kli.” It was said about this, “There is no light without a Kli,” as it is known that “There is no filling without a lack.”

In that respect, we can call ZA by the name “general,” since he includes everything. That is, he gives both the faith above reason and the Torah, called the “names of the Creator.” We already said that the “names of the Creator” refers to the delight and pleasure revealed through the Torah, as the general name of the Creator is The Good Who Does Good. It is explained in the Torah how within each and every letter in the Torah, a special light is revealed. This discernment is called “the Torah, and Israel, and the Creator are one.”

Accordingly, we understand that when he refers to ZA by the name “Torah,” it is with respect to the names of the Creator. This is called “written Torah,” where there is nothing to add or to subtract, since there is no attainment whatsoever in the giver, called “the Creator.”

For this reason, there is nothing to add or to subtract, but rather everything that there is in the giver is revealed in the receiver. That is, what exists in the giver manifests in the receiver.

Yet, not everything that is in the giver is revealed in the receiver. Instead, each time, another detail is revealed in the receiver. For this reason, Malchut, which is the receiving Kli, is called “particular,” and ZA is called “general.” For this reason, Malchut is called “oral Torah,” where “oral” means disclosure, for it discloses what is in the written Torah, called ZA.

However, Malchut is called the “judgment of Torah,” which means that each discernment of the Torah that appears in Malchut is according to the judgment concerning what is permitted to be revealed. In other words, since Malchut is called the “receiver,” and there was a judgment over the vessels of reception that it is forbidden to receive except to the extent that it is possible to aim to bestow, for this reason there are ups and downs in Malchut.

She is called “statute” because with regard to faith, she is a law without knowledge. If we ask ourselves, why should faith be a law? the answer is that such was His decree, that we should serve Him above reason, and this is why it is a law.

From that perspective, Malchut is called the “decree of the Torah,” meaning that the Torah decreed that such would be the order of the work on work above reason. It is as RASHI says about the verse, “This is the statute of the Torah”: “Since Satan and the nations of the world cause Israel to say, ‘What is this Mitzva [commandment] and what is its purpose?’ This is why it is written about it, ‘statute,’ ‘It is a decree before Me,’ and you have no permission to doubt it.”

This is why we should not ask why the Creator wants us to serve Him above reason in regard to this, as well. That is, on this question, too, comes the answer that it is above reason, since common sense dictates that if our work is within reason, meaning that the body understood the ways of the Creator’s guidance with the creatures, there would be no room for heretics and secular people to turn away from Kedusha. Rather, everyone would be servants of the Creator. It was said about this (Isaiah 55): “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not My ways,’ says the Lord.”

This is why The Zohar writes “and this” with a Vav [in Hebrew]. It is to show that everything is in one unification, and to include the assembly of Israel, who is Malchut, in the Creator, who is ZA. We should interpret that unification is equivalence of form. For this reason, when the lower ones engage in Torah and Mitzvot with the aim to bestow, by this they cause, each in the root of his soul, which is Malchut, that it will be in order to bestow like ZA, who is called “male,” meaning a giver.

This means that including the assembly of Israel, which is Malchut, in the Creator, who is ZA, by this appears all that there is in the general, which is ZA, the giver, in the Malchut, who is the receiving Nukva. Through the unification, each time, a new detail emerges in Malchut. This is why Malchut is called “particular.”

According to the above, we should understand what we asked, What is private property, of which we can say that it belongs to the individual alone? According to what we explained, a person has in his world only the Kelim that he has made, called “vessels of bestowal.” This is all that belongs to a person. But what enters the Kelim of reception does not pertain to man because that Kli, the Creator has made it.

For this reason, anything that enters these vessels does not belong to man as well, and all that a person has is what he placed in vessels of bestowal. For this reason, when Korah wanted to receive in Kelim that were not his, meaning in vessels of reception, he lost his Kelim, as well, which he had from the desire to bestow.

Inapoi la pagina 1987 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Inapoi la pagina 1987 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

What Are Revealed and Concealed in the Work of the Creator?

Article No. 19, Tav-Shin-Mem-Zayin, 1986-87

The writing says (Micah 6:8), “He has told you, O man, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” Here in this verse we see two things revealed before us: 1) “To do justice,” where we see that He does justice. 2) “Love mercy,” where we see that He loves mercy. How do we know this? We see that He does mercy. He must certainly love it or He would not do mercy. And one thing that was said here is concealed, as it is written, “and to walk humbly with the Lord your God.”

We need to understand the meaning of walking humbly. In the literal, it is interpreted that the two above-mentioned things—doing justice and loving mercy—should be in concealment, so no one will see his good deeds. But what does this mean in the work?

It is known that there are the acts of Mitzvot [commandments/good deeds] and the intention of the Mitzvot. In the actions, everyone is equal; there is no difference between a great righteous and an ordinary person, since it was said about the practicing Mitzvot, “Do not add and do not subtract.” We do not say that the righteous has two mezuzahs [text from the Torah placed on the right hand doorpost], one on the right side of the door and on the left side. Rather, the difference between great and small is only in the intention.

In the intention we should also make two discernments: 1) to aim that now he is performing the Mitzvotof the Creator, 2) aim for the reason that makes him observe the Mitzvot of the Creator.

However, in this regard we should make several discernments: 1) He is observing the Mitzvot of the Creator for by this, people around him will respect him and so forth. It follows that what compels him to keep the Creator’s Mitzvot is people and not the Creator. That is, if there were no people around him, he would not observe the Mitzvot of the Creator.

And in this discernment, too, we should discern whether he is doing this out of coercion. That is, a person who desecrates the Shabbat [Sabbath] might work for a religious person. The rule is that if he can force him not to desecrate the Shabbat, the rule is that he must force him. For example, if he does not observe the Shabbat, he will fire him from the job. If he has no place else to work, he will certainly promise him that he will not desecrate the Shabbat.

It turns out that he is observing the Mitzvot of his boss, meaning he follows the commandments of the giver of the work, and he has no connection with the Creator. However, in terms of the law, we see that this, too, is regarded as observing Mitzvot. Otherwise, why would he need to force him to observe Mitzvot?

It turns out that this servant is only working out of coercion. It is as we said (Article No. 29, Tav-Shin-Mem-Vav) that Maimonides said (Hilchot De’ot, Chapter 6), “In matters of above, if he did not revert in concealment, he is shamed in public. He is despised and cursed until he repents.” It follows that he is observing the Mitzvot because the public is forcing him.

Concerning the reason that people are compelling him, we should discern whether he enjoys performing that Mitzva or not. When he performs the Mitzvot because he is respected and so forth, he enjoys observing the Mitzvot. But if he is observing Torah and Mitzvot because of coercion, he always yearns to come out of that exile so he will not suffer from the Torah and Mitzvot, which is to him as “will pass on his own will, and will not be killed” by the people compelling him to observe the Torah and Mitzvot.

It therefore follows that one who observes because of respect from people can observe the Torah and Mitzvot gladly. But one who observes coercively, cannot be in happiness. Rather, he sits and waits for an opportunity to escape from this exile, since he is not observing the Mitzvot of the Creator because he wants to observe what the Creator said, but he must observe because people on the outside are chasing him, and he cannot suffer greater torments than the torments of observing Mitzvot. For this reason, this manner is worse than the first.

It follows that there are two discernments in aiming to observe Torah and Mitzvot: 1) out of fear and coercion, 2) out of love, when he is happy when he observes Torah and Mitzvot.

There is also another discernment in the reason that makes him observe Torah and Mitzvot. It is called “walking humbly.” This refers to the actions—so everything he does, no one sees or hears of his good deeds, and he does everything in concealment. In terms of the intention, it is certainly hidden from the eye of every living thing.

But in the intention, there are two discernments to make: 1) He is observing Torah and Mitzvot and there is nothing here that is because of people, since no one knows about his work. Rather, the reward that the Creator pays for listening to Him is the reason compelling him to observe Torah and Mitzvot.

This manner is regarded as believing in the Creator and believing in reward and punishment. Thus, the reward and punishment is the reason compelling him to engage in Torah and Mitzvot. We can call this manner “working Lishma [for Her sake],” meaning for the Creator and not for people to respect him.

This is certainly clean work, which is entirely for the Creator: 1) With respect to actions, he does not want anyone to see his good deeds so they will reward him for it. 2) With respect to intention, he does not require people to pay him anything for this work in Torah and Mitzvot. Rather, he wants the Creator to pay his reward for his work.

However, this manner of walking humbly is still incomplete, although it is more important than the two prior manners, which is when people compel him: 1) the first is because of fear and coercion, 2) the second is because of love.

Here, however, the reason is only that the Creator compels him. Yet, since he wants reward in return for his work, by this he becomes separated from the Creator due to disparity of form. For this reason, his work is still incomplete.

Complete work means that he works in concealment, his intention is that only the Creator compels him to engage in Torah and Mitzvot, and other people have no grip on his work. At the same time, he is working not in order to receive reward, but only for the Creator. This is regarded as wanting to adhere to the Creator, as in, “As He is merciful, so you are merciful.”

This means that all his work is in order to bestow, and he derives great satisfaction from the privilege of serving the King. From this he derives pleasure and joy, and he has no other need to be given anything. Rather, when he observes Torah and Mitzvot in utter simplicity and cannot aim any intentions, he settles for this as though he can serve the King with an important service.

It is like a person working for the king as a cleaner compared to one who is the king’s minister and advises the king wherever the king needs his help. There is certainly a great difference from the king’s cleaning man, both in salary and in the respect of the king’s minister.

The lesson is that there is certainly a difference between one who is serving the king when he has been rewarded with “The secrets of Torah are revealed to him and he entertains himself with the King,” and one who is a commoner, observing Torah and Mitzvot without any understanding of the intellect of the Torah. Rather, he is happy that he has been privileged with observing the King’s Mitzvot, which He has given to him. He enjoys this more than any worldly pleasure, since the pleasures of this world seem to him as though they are serving the body, which is flesh and blood. But when he engages in utter simplicity, which is the simplest work, like a cleaner in the King’s house, but says, “At the end of the day, whom do I want to please? The King.” He does not want to serve himself, called “will to receive for his own sake,” but his intention is that the Creator will enjoy his work.

It follows that a person should receive pleasure, since without pleasure a person cannot work. Because of the nature that the Creator has created, according to the thought of creation, which is His desire to do good to His creations, a desire and yearning to receive pleasure are imprinted in us.

However, there are great differences regarding the things from which we can receive pleasure. That is, pleasure is called “light,” and there is no light without a Kli [vessel]. It follows that the pleasure that one wants to receive is placed in some Kli. This means that there are pleasures clothed in corporeal pleasures, such as lust. Yet, in lust, too, there are several discernments to make. It is likewise with respect, and one can also derive pleasure from learning knowledge. Every person can derive pleasure from the Kelim [vessels], which are generally called “lust,” “respect,” and “knowledge.”

However, there is a fourth degree, which is serving the Creator. Baal HaSulam said in the “Introduction to The Book of Zohar” that there are four degrees called SVAS (still, vegetative, animate, and speaking): 1) “Still” is called “lust,” 2) “Vegetative” is called “honor,” 3) “Animate” is called “knowledge,” and 4) “Speaking” is called “serving the Creator.”

It follows that each one must receive pleasure, except there is a difference from which clothing a person can derive delight and pleasure. In this we should distinguish one from the other. For this reason, it turns out that the beginning of man’s work on the path of truth is to achieve the degree of “walk humbly with your God.”

That is, his work is in concealment, where no one has any contact with his Torah and Mitzvot because he is concealed from people. However, there is another thing that should be here: “Walk humbly with your God.” “With” means in Dvekut [adhesion]. His work should be in Dvekut with your God and not in separation. This is so because specifically when he works not in order to receive reward, but entirely to bestow, he has equivalence of form, called “Dvekut with the Creator.” But if his intention is to receive reward from the Creator for his work, then he is deemed a receiver, and the Creator is the giver. It follows that there is no Dvekut with the Creator here, but to the contrary, there is separation, for he is in oppositeness of form from the Creator.

By this we will understand what we asked, “What is the meaning of ‘Walk humbly with your God’?” The literal meaning is that here is the beginning of the work called Lishma. It is as Rabbi Meir said, “He who learns Torah Lishma [for Her sake], henceforth, he is rewarded with many things and the secrets of Torah are revealed to him, and he becomes like a springing stream.”

It therefore follows that we should distinguish between the work of the general public and the work of the individual.

The work of the general public refers to the whole of Israel, who learn Torah as a practice. In other words, in actual fact. There are seventy nations in the world, and there are good people with good qualities, and there are the opposite: wicked. In other words, in the world in general, there are many people. There, the order of the work is that the act is what matters. It is impossible that they will mind the intention, to make it Lishma. Instead, they are told, “From Lo Lishma [not for Her sake], we come to Lishma.”

Also, their work does not need to be in concealment. Instead, the order is that each one tells his friend how much good deeds he has and how much time he dedicates to Torah and work. This is so on purpose, and there are two benefits from it: 1) It benefits the teller, since when he sees that someone is envious of him, it motivates him to work. That is, he has the power to work for others because he thinks that his friend will respect him for his work. It follows that this gives him fuel for work.

The reason is that anyone who makes any effort must have reward in return for it. The reward can be in money or in respect. That is, sometimes, the act that he does makes people respect him. This is already regarded as reward, like money. That is, some people work for respect, and respect pertains precisely to where there are people who see his actions.

However, there is a difference between money and respect from the perspective of the giver. Where one works for money, he does not care who gives the money. The giver can be a common person, but if he pays a higher price than a respectable person, in monetary payment, it is not the giver’s personality that determines if the work is worthwhile, but the sum of money determines the place of the work.

This is not so with one who works for respect. Here, the giver is precisely the one who determines. If the giver is a distinguished person, it is not so difficult to work for respect. However, this depends on the level to which the person is regarded by the public as an important personality.

It therefore follows that it is difficult to serve the Creator not in order to receive reward, and a person expects some return. It is not enough for a person to serve the King because he lacks the faith in the greatness of the Creator, since otherwise, it is natural that the small one annuls before the great one, when a person is accepted by the public as a great personality.

For this reason, when a person can no longer feel the greatness of the Creator, he must work in Lo Lishma. This is why a person engages in Torah and Mitzvot in order for people to respect him. However, this is so only where he is in an environment that respects servants of the Creator. When one is among secular people, he certainly works in concealment so as not to receive contempt from them instead of respect.

However, once a person has crossed the stage of the general public, if a person awakens and wants to come out of the general public, meaning be to enslaved to the public, meaning that according to what the general public determines as the work of the Creator, this is what he can observe.

But what is not accepted by the public, and he feels that the work of the general public is not the final stage, but he has an inner drive that there is the issue of work that pertains specifically to individuals, where each individual contains the collective, then the matter of Lishma begins to be revealed to him. It is as Maimonides says (end of Hilchot Teshuva), “Until they gain more knowledge and acquire much wisdom, they are shown that secret bit by bit. They are accustomed to this matter calmly until they attain Him and know Him, and serve Him with love.”

It follows from all the above that there is the wholeness of the action and the wholeness of the intention. Once a person keeps the wholeness of the action, which pertains to the general public, then begins the work on the wholeness of the intention. This is when one must try to make the cause compelling him to observe Torah and Mitzvot be the Creator, since he wants to bestow upon the Creator because he believes in the greatness and importance of the Creator.

For this reason, he regards it as a great merit if he succeeds in serving the King. This work is called “concealed work.” Here, the work is primarily on the intention, which is not revealed to anyone. That is, not a single person in the world can know the reason that compels his friend to work in Torah and Mitzvot.

But in the work of the general public, called Lo Lishma, this is the revealed work, which is the practical part. This means that their wholeness is in the action. However, they were not given work on the intention, to make the intention whole, as well, meaning Lishma. Instead, they are taught to engage in Torah and Mitzvot Lo Lishma, as Maimonides says.

It is written in The Zohar (Nasso, Item 50): “‘The concealed things belong to the Lord our God’ are fear and love, which are in the mind and in the heart. These are the Yod-Hey. ‘And the revealed things belong to us and to our children,’ meaning the Torah and the Mitzva [singular of Mitzvot], which are in the externality of the Guf [body] and the Rosh [head]. This is the Vav-Hey. The meaning of the matter is that no one knows if a person fears the Creator or loves Him, since it is something that is revealed only between him and his Maker.”

But a person who engages in Torah and engages in practical Mitzvot, this is revealed to everyone, since here the Creator has made it that he should engage in Torah openly, and eyes to look at it and ears to hear it. The Creator has also made man hands, legs, and a body with which to perform Mitzvot.

It is known that the name HaVaYaH comprises five worlds, called AK and ABYA. The tip of the Yodconsists of AK. They contain five Partzufim called Galgalta, AB, SAG, MA, and BON. These comprise five Sefirot: Keter, Hochma, Bina, ZA, and Malchut. This means that each and every Behina[discernment] is included in one letter in the name HaVaYaH.

The Zohar says about the verse, “This is My name forever, and this is My remembrance to all generations,” “My name” with Yod-Hey [in Hebrew] is 365 in Gematria, which implies to the 365 negatives [commandments not to perform certain actions]. “My remembrance” with Vav-Hey [in Hebrew] is 248 in Gematria, implying the positive Mitzvot [commandments to perform certain actions].

Baal HaSulam explained why the negatives are implied in Yod-Hey, which imply Hochma and Bina, and why the positive Mitzvot, which are certainly things with which to serve the Creator, are at a lower degree and are implied only in the Vav-Hey. He said that in the world of Tikkun [correction], it is in order to prevent another breaking of the vessels, since the reason for the breaking was that there were great lights in small vessels.

Hence, a correction was made that only small lights would shine, called “lights of VAK.” And because it is forbidden to extend lights of GAR, and GAR is called Yod-Hey, which are Hochma and Bina, it is nonetheless necessary to extend lights of VAK. For this reason, the lights of VAK are implied in the name Vav-Hey. Therefore, the positive Mitzvot are in Vav-Hey, which is VAK, but the lights of GAR, which are forbidden to extend, are called “negative Mitzvot,” meaning that it is forbidden to extend.

Accordingly, we can explain the meaning of HaVaYaH that includes fear and love, which are Yod-Hey, and Torah and Mitzva, which are Vav-Hey. We will explain them one at a time.

1) Fear means that one should be afraid lest he will bring little contentment to his Maker, as it is written in the “Introduction of The Book of Zohar” (Item 203): “Both the first fear and the second fear are not for his own benefit, but only for fear that he will lessen bringing contentment to his Maker.”

Fear is the first Mitzva because it is impossible to truly believe in whole faith that he will not come into heresy before he has been rewarded with fear. It is as it is written in the “Introduction of The Book of Zohar” (Item 138): “It is a law that the creature cannot receive disclosed evil from the Creator, for it is a flaw in the glory of the Creator for the creature to perceive Him as an evildoer. Hence, when one feels bad, denial of the Creator’s guidance lies upon him to the same extent, and the superior Operator is concealed from him.”

Yet, when a person does all his works in order to bestow, at that time the Kelim are fit to receive the delight and pleasure, and then there is faith upon him because in that state, he attains the Creator as the good who does good. It is as it is written in the Sulam [Ladder commentary]: “Thus, it is no wonder that we are still unworthy of receiving His complete benefit. For this reason, His guidance of good and evil has been prescribed for us.” It follows that this is the root of faith by which we can be rewarded with permanent faith.

2) Love. Since through fear he is rewarded with delight and pleasure, at that time love appears. In love, too, we should discern between conditional love and unconditional love, as it is written in the “Introduction to The Study of the Ten Sefirot.”

3) Torah. This extends from fear, since precisely through fear we can obtain the desire to bestow, as our sages said, “The light in it reforms him.” For this reason, specifically through Torah we can come to fear and trepidation lest he will not be able to bring contentment to his Maker.

This is why the Torah is over the disclosure of fear. That is, if he is truly learning Torah on the path of truth and not for the sake of knowledge, and his intention in the Torah is to achieve fear. For this reason, the order of the work is from below upward. This is why the Torah, which is Vav of HaVaYaH, comes first, since through it he later achieves fear.

However, one who learns Torah with a different aim, not in order to achieve fear of heaven, this is not regarded as Torah, but as knowledge. It is as our sages said (Midrash Rabbah, Eicha Rabatti 2:17), “Should a man tell you, ‘There is wisdom in the nations,’ believe, ‘There is Torah in the nations,’ do not believe,” since Torah belongs to those who learn in order to achieve fear of heaven.

4) Mitzva. This is Hey of HaVaYaH, and extends from love, which is the first Hey of HaVaYaH. Because of this, performing the Mitzvot should be with love and joy of observing the King’s commandments. Here, too, we learn from below upward, meaning by a person exerting to observe the King’s Mitzvot with love, by an awakening from below that causes an awakening of above, where the Creator reveals His love for Israel, as it is written, “You loved us and wanted us.”

It follows that through Torah, fear appears, and through Mitzva, love appears. This means that a person should begin the order of the work from below upward: 1) first Mitzva, which is the last Hey of HaVaYaH, 2) then Torah, which is Vav of HaVaYaH, 3) then love, which is the first Hey of HaVaYaH, 4) and then fear, which is the Yod of HaVaYaH.

But in the order of bestowal that comes from above, fear appears first, then love, then a person attains love, and then he attains Torah, and then Mitzva.

However, the matter of the inclusion of the souls in the name HaVaYaH is specifically in the last Hey. It is as the holy ARI says, that the soul of Adam HaRishon is from the internality of BYA, and BYAemerged from Malchut of Atzilut, called “last Hey of the whole of Atzilut.” For this reason, Malchut is called the “Assembly of Israel,” as it includes within it all the souls.

And for this reason, man’s work belongs to Malchut. That is, by observing Torah and Mitzvot, they cause the unification of the Creator and His Shechina [Divinity], since Malchut is called “a vessel of reception for the upper abundance,” and the Creator is called “the Giver.” This is why there is no unification here, called “equivalence of form.” But when we engage here below in acts of bestowal, each one causes equivalence of form in the root of his soul, and this is called “unification,” like the Creator, who is the Giver.

It is as it is written in The Zohar (Nasso, Item 29): “The letter Hey is a confirmation of things.” The meaning of the matter is “Take with you things and return to the Creator. Certainly, when a person sins, he causes the Hey to move farther from the Vav, since Ben Yod-Hey, which is Vav, comprises Yod-Hey-Vav, and departed from the letter Hey. This is why the Temple was ruined and Israel were removed from there and were exiled among the nations. And this is why anyone who repents causes the Hey to return to the letter Vav, and redemption depends upon this.

Inapoi la pagina 1987 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Inapoi la pagina 1987 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

What Is Preparation for Reception of the Torah?

Article No. 18, Tav-Shin-Mem-Zayin, 1986-87

The writing says, “And the Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain.” Concerning the people, the writing says, “And they stood at the foot of the mountain.”

We should understand what “came down” means for the Creator, which means a descent, lessening. After all, this was at the time of the giving of the Torah, so why should this be regarded as a descent for the Creator, as this was a time of joy?

Our sages said about “and they stood,” that it teaches that “He forced the mountain on them like a vault” and said, “If you accept the Torah, very well. But if you do not, there will it be your burial” (Shabbat 88). He asked there in the Tosfot, “Forced the mountain on them like a vault,” although they had already preceded doing to hearing. There are many answers to this question, but we should also understand the meaning of forcing on them the mountain like a vault in the work.

To understand the above, we must remember the known rule that there is no light without a Kli[vessel]. That is, there cannot be filling without a lack. It is impossible to enjoy something without yearning for it, and yearning for something is called “preparation,” meaning a need. The need for something determines the yearning, and the level of the pleasure corresponds to the level of the yearning.

It therefore follows that prior to the giving of the Torah, there had to be a preparation for the reception of the Torah. Otherwise, there could not be joy of the Torah. That is, they had to prepare the need to receive the Torah, and the need yields the above-mentioned yearning. According to the level of the yearning, so is the measure by which we can enjoy the Torah. However, we should know what indeed is the need for the reception of the Torah.

Our sages said (Baba Batra 16), “The Creator created the evil inclination, He has created for it a spice.” RASHI interpreted “Created for it the Torah as a spice,” which cancels thoughts of transgressions, as was said (Kidushin 30), “If you encounter this villain, pull him into the seminary.” And there, in Kidushin, they said, “Thus the Creator said to Israel: ‘I have created the evil inclination, and I have created for it the spice of Torah. If you engage in Torah, you will not be given into its hands,’ as was said, ‘and if you do well.’ ‘But if you do not engage in Torah, you will be given into its hands,’ as it was said, ‘Sin crouches at the door.’”

Accordingly, we see that the Torah is a correction to come out of the governance of the evil inclination. This means that one who feels he has the evil inclination, who feels that the evil inclination, with all the counsels it gives to a person about how to be happy and enjoy life, aims to harm him. That is, it obstructs him from achieving the real good, called “ Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator.” This is why a person says about it that this inclination is bad and not good.

However, it is very difficult for a person to say about it. That is, the evil inclination makes him understand that it is in his interest to see to his enjoyment in life, to feel pleasure from the things he does, meaning that all his actions will be only for his own sake. It makes him understand that a person should know the rule that all the counsels it gives him are only with one thing in mind: his own benefit. And even though sometimes it says that he should do something for another, it is with good reason that it tells him to work in favor of another. It is calculated in advance that this act will later yield benefit for himself. Therefore, how can a person say about it that it is an evil inclination, when it tells him to believe that it has no other aim but his own good, and not the good of anyone else?

For this reason, a person has a lot of work to come to feel that his will to receive is bad, to the extent that a person will know with absolute certainty that he has no greater enemy in the world than the receiver in him, as King Solomon would call it, “enemy.” It is as it is written, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him bread.” It is very difficult for a person to determine once and for all that he is bad and wants only to fail him from walking on the good path, which is the very opposite of the way of the receiver, since the path of truth is only to bestow, while the receiver wants only to receive. It follows that here is where one must choose if he is to be called “good” or “bad.”

Our sages said about it (Nida), “Rabbi Hanina Bar Papa says, ‘That angel appointed over pregnancy is called Laila [Hebrew: night]. It takes a drop and places it before the Creator and says to Him: ‘Master of the world, what shall become of this drop? Will it be a mighty one or a weakling, a wise one or a fool, rich or poor?’ But ‘wicked or righteous’ it did not say. Rather, this was given to man’s choice.’”

We should interpret that choice means to determine, decide, and name the receiver in a person, or that it is truly a good inclination because it tends to man’s benefit and is not distracted for even a minute into caring for others whatsoever. For this reason, it is worthwhile to listen to it, since it cares only for his own benefit, meaning that he will be happy. Therefore, it should be trusted and not veer off from it to the right or to the left, but carry out all its commandments and not deviate from it one bit.

There is also the opposite view, that it is indeed bad because by listening to it and engaging in self-love, we become remote from the Creator due to disparity of form. Then the quality of judgment is on a person, which was done by the correction of Tzimtzum [restriction] that was done on the light of doing good to His creations. For this reason, the name of the Creator, The Good Who Does Good, cannot be revealed where there is self-love. And for this reason, a person must decide once and for all that self-love is the real bad and harm-doer for a person.

However, the question is, from where can one receive the strength to make a choice to say about the receiver that it is so bad as to say that from this day forward he will not listen to it?

The truth is that this, too, requires help from the Creator to show him the truth, that the receiver for himself is man’s real wicked one and enemy. When a person comes to feel this, he is immune from sinning. Then, all the concealments and punishments are removed from him because when he already knows that this is the angel of death, he will certainly run away from death. This is the time when the delight and pleasure that is in the purpose of creation can be revealed. At that time a person comes to attain the Creator, who is called The Good Who Does Good.

Accordingly, we should interpret what is written (Genesis 8:21), “And the Lord said in His heart, ‘I will curse no more the earth because of man, for the inclination of a man’s heart is evil from his youth.’” Nachmanides interpreted “in His heart” as not revealing the matter to the prophet at that time. And Even Ezra adds and says, “Afterward, He revealed His secret to Noah.”

It is difficult to understand that verse, for did the Creator see only now that “the inclination of a man’s heart is evil from his youth” and before this, He did not know?

In the work, we should interpret that the Creator now disclosed, after all the work that a person has put into awakening to achieve the truth, meaning to really know why he was born and what goal he should achieve, so now the Creator disclosed to him that the inclination of a man’s heart, which is the receiver, is evil from his youth. That is, it cannot be said that now he sees that the inclination has become bad. Rather, it is evil from his youth. However, until now he could not determine that it was really evil; therefore, the person was in states of ascent and descent. In other words, at times he would listen to the inclination and say that from now on I will know that this is my enemy and everything it advises me to do is to my detriment.

But afterwards, the esteem of the inclination rises again and once again he listens to it and works for it wholeheartedly, and so on and so forth. He feels that he is as “a dog returning to its vomit.” That is, he has already determined that it was unfit for him to listen to it because all the nourishments that the inclination gives him are but food fit for beasts and not for man. But all of a sudden, he returns to animal food and forgets all the decisions and views he had before.

Afterward, when he regrets, he sees that he has no other way but for the Creator to make him see that the inclination that is called “evil” really is evil. Then, once the Creator has given him this knowledge, he does not go astray again but asks the Creator to give him the strength to overcome it each and every time the inclination wants to fail him, so he will have the strength to overcome it.

It therefore follows that the Creator should give him both the Kli [vessel] and the light, meaning both the awareness that the inclination is evil and there is a need to emerge from under its reign, and the correction for this is the Torah, as it is written, “I have created the evil inclination, I have created the Torah as a spice.” Accordingly, the Creator gave him both the need for the Torah, as well as the Torah. This is regarded as the Creator giving him the light, as well as the Kli.

According to the above, we should interpret the above verse, “And the Lord said in His heart.” The interpreters interpreted that not revealing the matter to the prophet is regarded as “in His heart.” Afterward, He revealed His secret. What is the secret? That the inclination of a man’s heart is evil from his youth.

Thus, the order is that first one must see by himself and choose and determine that the name of the inclination in his heart is “evil.” Afterward, he sees that he is unable to determine resolutely that he will not go back on his word and say that the inclination is a good thing and it is worthwhile to listen to it, and so on and so forth. At that time, it is regarded that the Creator says “in His heart,” that the inclination of a man’s heart is evil from his youth, but to one who engages in choice, the Creator still did not reveal that secret that the inclination is called “evil” because it is evil. This is done in order to give man room for choice and to determine that it is evil.

But afterwards, when a person sees that he cannot say that it is utterly evil, but regrets every time, then comes the state where he cries out to the Creator, “Help me!” This is the meaning of what Even Ezra says, “Afterward, He revealed His secret to Noah.” It means that Noah is called “serving the Creator.” That is, when the Creator reveals to a person that the inclination is evil from his youth, which is nothing new that the evil inclination is evil, “but I did not tell you. Now that I am telling you this secret, that Man’s inclination is evil, you can be certain that you will no longer listen to it, since I myself revealed this to you. Therefore, I will no longer curse,” since there will not be any need for more punishments, since everything will be okay, as it is said, “And I will strike no more all the living, as I had done.”

This means that before the Creator disclosed that the inclination of a man’s heart is evil, there had to be ascents and descents. That is, in the beginning of the work you had vitality, but in order to walk on the right path, you had to strike all the living, meaning I took from you the vitality you had in the work, and you descended from there to a state of lowliness because you have evil, which is the evil inclination. Then there can be, “I have created the evil inclination, I have created the Torah as a spice.” But before he has this evil inclination, he feels the necessity for the Torah. For this reason, only after the Creator revealed the secret that the inclination of a man’s heart is evil can there be the giving of the Torah, since there is no light without Kelim [vessels], and only where there is a need it is possible to give him what he needs.

However, the Creator revealing to him that the inclination of a man’s heart is evil is also called “light,” meaning filling, and there is no filling without a lack. For this reason, a person cannot be rewarded with the Creator revealing the bad to him before he has a need for it, since there is a rule that it is not man’s way to act needlessly, and it is even more so with the Creator, who does not do anything needlessly.

Accordingly, from where can one receive the need for the Creator to reveal to him the above-mentioned secret? For this reason, one needs to begin the work and know that his receiver is his evil, and he must escape from its ruling, and everything he does in Torah and in prayer, or when he engages in Mitzvot [commandments/good deeds], it is to try to make all these actions bring him the recognition of evil. When he feels that he is bad and wants to perform acts of bestowal, he begins to receive vitality. When he falls from his degree, he loses the vitality.

It is the Creator Himself who makes him fall from His degree, since he still does not see the real evil in him. But through the descents he has each time, he asks the Creator to reveal to him once and for all that the will to receive is evil and not to be taken after it.

It follows that the descents he has, come to him from the Creator, as it is written, “And I will strike no more all the living,” to receive from Him the vitality in the Torah and work and to remain without any vitality of Kedusha [sanctity/holiness] because man has already been completed with the need for the Creator to help him recognize the evil permanently, so as not to yearn once more to listen to the voice of the evil. It is so because man has come to the need for the Creator to help him, since now he sees that it is impossible that he will ever be fond of the evil inclination and want to listen to it, and will go astray again endlessly. This is the reason why he needs the Creator now, to help him know that the inclination within him is bad, and is the reason why he cannot achieve the delight and pleasure that the Creator has created for the creatures.

This is why a person has many descents, for by this a desire forms within him to yearn for the Creator to help him feel that the inclination of a man’s heart is evil.

Now we can understand what we asked: What is the preparation for the reception of the Torah? The answer is—the evil inclination. When a person knows that he has evil in him, which is after the Creator has informed him this, a new need is born in a man: how to defeat it. Yet, this can be only through Torah, as our sages said, “I have created the evil inclination, I have created the Torah as a spice.” This is the preparation for the reception of the Torah. That is, the need for the Torah is called “the preparation for the reception of the Torah.”

By this we will understand what we asked about the meaning of the words, “And the Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain.” What is “the top of the mountain,” and how can a descent be said about the Creator? It is known that in spirituality, the name is according to the action, as it is written about Manoah with the angel who said, “Why do you ask for my name?” Rather, it is according to the action.

For example, an angel who heals will be called Angel Refael [the Creator’s healing], and so forth. Likewise, when the Creator sends healing to a person, the Creator is called “Healer of the sick.” According to the above, the Creator revealing to man that the inclination of a man’s heart is evil is regarded as the Creator revealing to a person in what state of descent the man was born, as it was written, “evil from his youth,” meaning from the day he was born. Then, the Creator is named after the action, showing to the man his lowly state, and this is called “And the Lord came down on Mount Sinai.”

We find two wordings here: 1) Regarding the Creator, it is written, “And the Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain.” 2) Regarding the people, it is written, “And they stood at the foot of the mountain.”

We must understand what is a “mountain.” The word Har [mountain] comes from the word Hirhurim[thoughts], which is man’s intellect. Anything that is in the intellect is regarded as “in potential.” Afterward, it can expand into actual fact. Accordingly, we can interpret “And the Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain,” as the thought and intellect of man, meaning that the Creator informed all the people that the inclination of a man’s heart is evil from his youth. After the Creator informed them in potential, meaning at the top of the mountain, that which was in potential expanded in actual fact.

For this reason, the people came to actually feel and everyone now sensed the need for the Torah, as it is written, “I have created the evil inclination; I have created the spice of Torah.” Now they said that through actually feeling that they were forced to accept the Torah, meaning without choice, since they saw that if they received the Torah they would have delight and pleasure, and if not, there it would be their burial. In other words, if we remain in our current state, our lives will not be lives but they will be our burial place.

Accordingly, we should interpret “And the Lord came down to the top of the mountain” to mean that once the Creator informed them on the mountain, in the intellect, that the evil is man’s heart, and once this has been set in their minds, in their thoughts and intellect, it immediately operated, as it is written, “And they stood at the foot of the mountain.” In other words, the descent that was on the mountain operated on them and they stood at the foot of the mountain, meaning the above descents controlled them.

It follows that “forced the mountain on them like a vault” means the descent and the information they received on the mountain, meaning with the thought about them that now they will have to receive the Torah because this mountain, meaning this descent, causes them the need to receive the Torah, so they can overcome the evil in their hearts.

The meaning of “forced … on them” is that the reason that now they must receive the Torah and they have no other choice is the mountain, meaning the information they received in the thought and intellect that they are in a state of descent because they have evil in the hearts. This is like a vault, meaning that it is coercive and they have no choice. This is regarded as the mountain controlling them at the bottom.

Accordingly, we should ask what does it mean that through the miracle on Purim, our sages said, “kept and received”?

It is that thus far coercively, henceforth willingly (Shabbat 88). It said, “Raba said, ‘Nevertheless, the generation received it in the days of Ahasuerus,’ as it is written, ‘The Jews kept and received.’” RASHI interpreted that it was for the love of the miracle that was done for them.

We should explain this as it is written in the “Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot” (p 41): “There is conditional love, where because of the pleasure he feels in Torah and Mitzvot, he keeps them. But there is a higher degree called ‘unconditional love,’ that because of the miracle, they took upon themselves to observe Torah and Mitzvot without anything.”

Inapoi la pagina 1987 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Inapoi la pagina 1987 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

The Difference between the Work of the General Public and the Work of the Individual

Article No. 16, Tav-Shin-Mem-Zayin, 1986-87

It is written in The Zohar (Emor, Item 58): “Come and see, when a person is born, a force from above is not appointed over him until he is circumcised. Once he is circumcised, the spirit awakens upon him, meaning the light of Nefesh from above. When he is rewarded with engaging in Torah, he is a complete man, whole in everything, for he has been rewarded with the light of Haya. But when a beast is born, as soon as it is born, the power it has in the end, it has when it is born. This is why it is written, ‘When an ox or a sheep or a goat is born.’”

We should understand this differentiation between beast and man, and what it teaches us in the work. First, we must understand what is “man” in the work and what is “beast” in the work. What is “man”? Our sages said (Berachot 6) about what was said, “In the end of the matter, all having been heard, fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole of man.” What is “for this is the whole of man”? Rabbi Elazar said, “The Creator said, ‘The whole world was not created but for this.’” In other words, the whole world was created for the fear of the Creator. This is the meaning of what he said, “for this is the whole of man.” It follows that “man” is one who has fear of the Creator, and one who does not have fear of the Creator is not called “man.”

This also explains what they said (Yevamot 61), “Thus would Rabbi Shimon Ben Yochai say, that it was said, ‘And you are My sheep, the sheep of My pasture. You are man. You are called ‘man,’ and the idol-worshippers are not called ‘man.’” We should also interpret that by “man,” he is referring to one who has fear of heaven (although in terms of the judgment, he is not important. Rather, he is from an impure one; although a person has only the degree of a beast, he is still defiled in the tent. Nonetheless, in the work, we learn within one man the discernments of Israel and the seventy nations, as The Zohar says that every person is a small world. For this reason, with respect to practical Mitzvot [commandments], called “the revealed part,” we learn everything separately, meaning a gentile and Israel separately, meaning we learn everything as separate bodies. This is why the rule is that the graves of idol-worshippers are not defiled in a tent, since it is written about Tuma’a [impurity], “Should a man die in a tent.” This is why idol-worshippers are not defiled in a tent.)

It therefore follows that one who has fear of the Creator is called “man,” and one who has no fear of the Creator is considered a “beast,” and not a man. However, we should understand the measure of the fear of the Creator, since there are many discernments in this.

The Zohar (“Introduction of The Book of Zohar,” Item 190) writes, “Fear is interpreted in three discernments, two of which do not contain a proper root, and one is the root of fear. There is a person who fears the Creator so that his sons will live and not die, or fears a bodily punishment, or a punishment to one’s money. Hence, he always fears Him. It follows that the fear he fears of the Creator is not placed as the root, for his own benefit is the root, and the fear is the result of it.

And there is a person who fears the Creator because he fears the punishment of that world and the punishment of Hell. Those two kinds of fear—fear of punishment in this world and fear of punishment in the next world—are not the essence of fear and its root. The fear that is the essence is that one should fear one’s Master because He is great and ruling.”

According to the worlds of The Zohar, the essence of the fear of the Creator is because the Creator is great and ruling. This is what compels us to observe His Mitzvot [commandments], since this is regarded as working not in order to receive reward, meaning not for one’s own sake—so he will receive some reward for his work. Rather, the work itself is the reward because he feels it is a great privilege that he sees that he was given a thought and desire to serve the King, and regards the great gift he has been given from above as a fortune.

It therefore follows that a “man” is one who walks on the path where all his actions will be with the aim for the Creator and not for his own sake. But one who does not have the intention, but only the act, while this is a great thing, without the intention it is regarded as a “beast,” as it is written (Proverbs 19:2), “Also, a soul without knowledge is not good.” “Without knowledge” means that “knowledge” means intention, as it is written, “You grant man knowledge.”

This is perplexing, since the path of truth is to go above reason, so (why) do we pray to be given reason? Baal HaSulam said that knowledge of Kedusha [holiness/sanctity] is called Dvekut [adhesion], “equivalence of form.” Accordingly, we should interpret “without knowledge” to mean “a soul without Dvekut,” but in a state of “beast,” not walking on the path of being rewarded through the power of Torah and Mitzvot to come to a state where he can aim in order to bestow. He is called “a beast without knowledge,” without equivalence of form. This means that in everything he does, he has no other intention but his own benefit. This is called a “beast,” and he is not regarded as “You are called ‘man,’ and not the idol-worshippers.”

Now we will explain what we asked—what does the difference between the birth of a beast and the birth of a man imply to us. The Zohar brings evidence to its words—that a newborn beast has the same strength in the end as it has when it is born—with the verse, “An ox or a sheep or a goat that is born,” that a day old ox is called an ox, since it is not written, “A calf that is born.” And concerning the work, this is (what) comes to teach us to know the order of development of man and beast.

First, when speaking of the work, we must know what is birth. That is, according to the rule that we learn about differentiating beast from man, it all applies to the same body. Because a person consists of seventy nations, he therefore consists of all that exists in the world, since according to what The Zohar says, man is a whole world. Therefore, we should know what is birth.

It is known that when we speak of a person, we mainly speak of the mind and the heart. We attribute the thoughts to the mind, and we attribute the desires to the heart. Therefore, when he has in his mind and heart thoughts and desires that pertain to the beast, this is regarded as the birth of a beast. But if the mind and the heart have thoughts and desires that pertain to “man,” this is regarded as the birth of a man. By this we discern between man and beast.

However, externally, in corporeality, we see that there are big changes in a beast from the day it is born. After some time, it develops in length, width, and height. However, the main difference for which they said that there are no differences in a beast from the day it is born to the end—that it has the same strength—refers to its internality. This comes to imply to us the order of the work. Saying “A beast that is born” means that from this basis he begins to build the building in which he will dwell his entire life.

Saying, “A beast that is born” means that the basis with which he builds his work in Torah and Mitzvot is on the state of a beast, called “action without intention.” He wants to continue in this way his entire life, for he thinks that this is the true path, that it is enough for those who want to walk on the path of the Creator to give all their energy and strength to observing Torah and Mitzvot meticulously, and aim, while working, to observe the commandment of the Creator, and what else do I need?

Primarily, a person who is born as a beast claims that he brings evidence to his correctness from the general public of Israel and how they behave, meaning on what foundation they rely. You will certainly see that they are going by the way of a beast. That is, if they observe Torah and Mitzvot, and even take upon themselves some additional restrictions to the Mitzvot that we were given, then everyone feels whole and sees no flaw in themselves that should be corrected. As evidence, they bring the words of our sages (Berachot 45): “Go see what the people do.” That is, when in doubt, go see what the general public is doing.

Indeed, he is correct. One who is born as a beast belongs to the general public and should do as the public does. This is as Maimonides writes in his interpretation on the words of our sages, “One should always engage in Torah, even Lo Lishma [not for Her sake], since from Lo Lishma he will come to Lishma [for Her sake]. Therefore, when teaching children, women, and uneducated people, they are taught only to work out of fear and in order to receive reward. Until they gain more knowledge and acquire much wisdom, they are taught that secret bit by bit, and are accustomed to this matter with ease until they attain Him and serve Him with love” (“Laws of Repentance,” Chapter 10).

Clearly, it is only just that one who wishes to follow the general public produces for himself evidence from the general public. But this applies to one who is born as a beast, for whom The Zohar says that the power he will have in the end, he has on the day when he is born. This is why it is said, “A day old calf is called an ‘ox.’” This means that until the end, he will not have more knowledge of Kedusha than he had at birth, when he began to work as a beast.

However, we should understand the words of Maimonides when he says, “until they gain more knowledge and acquire much wisdom.” The question is, “How can we know that they have already gained more knowledge and have acquired much wisdom?” Moreover, what is the measure of knowledge that is regarded as having acquired much knowledge? And also, what is the measure of much wisdom, from which onward it is permitted to reveal to them the meaning of Lishma, called “not in order to receive reward”?

According to the above, when a “man” is born means when thoughts and desires that a person should be a man come into his mind. A “man” means one who wants to walk on the path of fearing the Creator, meaning that all his actions will be for the Creator, in order to bestow, and not for himself, as a beast, who has no sensation of the other. Instead, he specifically wants to work in order to bestow.

Although he has not yet been rewarded with this, “being born” means that he has begun to walk on the basis of “man,” meaning that he wants to build his work on the basis of fear of the Creator, called “man,” and a beginning is called “birth.”

This is the time when a person comes and says that he wants to be a man because now he is born with the discernment of “man” in his mind and heart. This is called “until they gain more knowledge and acquire much wisdom,” meaning until wisdom and knowledge are born in their hearts, that it is not worth living a life of a beast, called Lo Lishma, as was written above, “Also, a soul without knowledge is not good.” At that time it is permitted to reveal to him the matter of Lishma, called “fearing the Creator,” and not that he engages in Torah and Mitzvot because he fears for his own benefit. But before the discernment of “man” comes to him, he must not be told, as in the words of Maimonides.

By this we will interpret what The Zohar tells us, that there is a difference between one who is born as a beast, where as soon as he is born, meaning in the beginning of his work, he immediately has the wholeness he will obtain afterwards, meaning the same mind he had received when he was born. This pertains to the foundation—that he began to work as a beast, called “self-benefit,” and everything he will build afterwards will be on the basis of self-love, and he will acquire no additions. Externally, he will grow as beasts grow after they are born—in length, width, and height. But a beast does not grow internally. That is, in terms of its mind, there is no difference between the day it is born and after it has grown over several years, since the beast remains with the mind.

The same applies to a person whose foundation and basis of the work is that of a beast, which is Lo Lishma. Here, too, there is no difference in the internality, which is the mind. Although he certainly grows externally, meaning that over time he has acquired and collected much Torah and many Mitzvot, internally, he has remained on the same degree. And the mind, which is the interior, did not undergo any change at its end.

This is why The Zohar says, “A man who is born, no force from above is appointed over him until he is circumcised. Once he is circumcised, he receives the light of Nefesh, until he is rewarded with obtaining the light of Haya because he was rewarded with these four degrees that are from the four worlds ABYA.”

It therefore follows that there is work that belongs to the general public, which is Lo Lishma, and is called a “beast.” We must not say that we should work Lishma because such people will not understand anyway, since they were born a beast and they cannot understand otherwise. Therefore, they must be taught only Lo Lishma.

According to the above, we can interpret what our sages said (Avoda Zarah 19), “Raba said, ‘One should always learn Torah where his heart desires.’” RASHI interpreted that “where his heart desires” means that his teacher should teach only the Masechet [chapter in the Mishnah/Talmud] that he asks of him, for if he teaches him a different Masechet, it will not be, for his heart is with his desire.

This is so because if he is born as a beast, meaning if the mind and heart understand that they must go according to the general public, based entirely on Lo Lishma, it is impossible to make him see that we should work in order to bestow. It is as RASHI interpreted, “If he teaches him a different Masechet, it will not be, for his heart is with his desire.” For this reason, he will make up many excuses why he cannot be as a “man,” called “fearing the Creator,” which is in order to bestow. It is as Maimonides wrote, “One should not say, ‘I am observing the Mitzvot of the Torah in order to receive the blessings written in it, or in order to be awarded with the life of the next world.’ Only uneducated people, women, and children serve the Creator in this manner, for they are taught to work out of fear until they gain more knowledge and serve Him with love.”

We explained that the meaning of “until they gain more knowledge” is until he is born in the discernment of a man, meaning until thoughts and desires that he should work the true work, meaning in order to bestow, come to his mind. It is as Maimonides writes, that we must serve the Creator only in order to bestow upon the Creator, as he phrased it, “He does the truth because it is the truth,” for “truth” means Lishma and not for one’s own sake. He says that this truth must not be revealed to the general public because they will not understand it, as RASHI interpreted, “for his heart is with his desire,” hence he cannot understand otherwise.

However, when he is born as a man, when thoughts and desires of being a man appear in his mind and heart, when he understands he needs to walk on the path of truth, although he still cannot walk, since he was born just now, meaning that now he has begun this work. Although he understands he must achieve it, meaning to do everything in order to bestow, though when he is born he has nothing, as The Zohar says, “When a person is born, a force from above is not appointed over him until he is circumcised.”

This means that when he begins to walk on a line of bestowal, called “giving birth,” he always sees the opposite value. In other words, he sees that after all his exertion, he has made no progress. Rather, he always sees that he has regressed.

This order, meaning the state of concealment that he feels, continues until he is rewarded with circumcising himself. Afterward, he goes forward until he obtains the four degrees called Haya, Neshama, Ruach, Nefesh. This is the difference between the general public and the individual, such as the difference in corporeality between man and beast.

Inapoi la pagina 1987 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Inapoi la pagina 1987 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Two Discernments in Holiness

Article No. 15, Tav-Shin-Mem-Zayin, 1986-87

There is Kedusha [sanctity/holiness] above and there is Kedusha below, as it is written, “You will be holy.” Thus, there is Kedusha below, meaning that the creatures should be holy. Afterward it is written, “For I the Lord your God am holy.” This is the Kedusha above.

This is the reason why there should be Kedusha below. Because He is holy above, he wants below to be holy too. Our sages said (Torat Kohanim), “You will be holy; you will be chaste, for I am holy.” That is, “If you sanctify yourselves, I will regard you as though you have sanctified Me.”

This seems difficult to understand, since it implies as though there is no Kedusha above. Yet, since the Creator wants to be holy, He says, “If you sanctify yourselves, I will regard you as though you have sanctified Me.” We should understand this. The literal meaning seems to mean that since the Creator is holy, He says that the creatures should also be holy, as it is written, “You will be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.”

The words of our sages imply that the lower ones should be holy and sanctify Him, as they said about what is written, “for I the Lord your God am holy.” That is, “If you sanctify yourselves, I will regard you as though you have sanctified Me.” It is as though the reason we should be holy is so that there will be Kedusha above.

Our sages also said (Kedoshim Rabbah 24:9), “You will be holy. Can he be like Me? The text explains, ‘for I am holy.’ My holiness is higher than your holiness.” This, too, is difficult to understand. Can you imagine that Israel will be like the Creator? Is this even conceivable?

To understand the above, we must understand the meaning of what was said about “You will be holy, you will be chaste.” That is, from what should one abstain? We should also understand why a person should abstain. The text seems to mean that a person should abstain because “I am holy.”

But that, too, we should understand. We can understand that the Creator is holy, but why is the fact that the Creator is holy a reason for a person to also be holy? Can a person resemble the Creator? Is this possible? And if it is, we must understand what it means that a person is obligated to be as holy as the Creator.

Also, it seems as though this is the main thing that a person needs to be. Otherwise, it seems that he is the opposite of Kedusha, Tuma’a [impurity], as though there is nothing in between, a middle between Kedusha and Tuma’a. And we should also understand what is Tuma’a in the work and what is Kedusha in the work.

We should interpret all those matters in one direction, meaning to return to the purpose of creation, what it is, what is the root of the corruptions, and what are the corrections that we must correct in order to fully realize the purpose of creation—for the creatures to receive the delight and pleasure that the Creator wants to give them, since His desire is to do good to His creations.

It is known that the desire to do good created a desire to receive and a yearning to receive the good that He wants to give. That desire to receive is called the “root of the creatures.” From this desire, many discernments later expanded in this will to receive. That is, when it first emerged and was revealed, and received on this discernment, that state was called the “world of Ein Sof [infinity].”

This means that this will to receive did not put a stop on the upper light, but received the delight and pleasure in this Kli [vessel]. For this reason, a correction was made not to receive the abundance in order to receive but in order to bestow. By this, they would not feel any shame upon the reception of the pleasures.

It therefore follows that in the world of Ein Sof there was only one desire. Only afterward—after the correction of the Tzimtzum [restriction] was done, that something should be received only to the extent that it is possible to aim to bestow—that desire divided into many discernments. It is so because when Malchut received with the Kli we attribute to the Creator, for He has made something new, existence from absence, called “yearning to receive pleasures,” Malchut could receive everything that the Creator wanted to give, since He has created a desire to receive to the extent that He desired to give.

Naturally, Malchut could receive all the abundance that the Creator wishes to give. This is why this is regarded as one desire. It is known that the light is indivisible, but rather all the divisions we discern in the lights are only from the perspective of the receivers. For this reason, since there was only one discernment in the receiving Kli, it was regarded as one light, since one Kli is discerned as one desire.

But after the correction of the Tzimtzum, we must place over the will to receive the aim to bestow. Since we attribute the matter of bestowal to the creatures, the Kelim that the creatures must create certainly cannot be completed at once.

For this reason, each time we should take a part of the will to receive and correct it into working in order to bestow. This is why the general will to receive that was created was divided into several pieces. According to the measure of the intention to bestow that is placed on them, to that extent the desire receives the light that befits this desire, which is corrected with the intention to bestow.

It therefore follows that when we interpret “You will be holy, you will be chaste,” we asked, From what should one abstain? We must say that one should abstain from self-love, meaning from self-reception, and engage only in bestowal because “I am holy.”

That is, it is in order for you to be able to receive the delight and pleasure. The benefit that you will receive will be without any shame if you are in the form of “desire to bestow.” This will bring you equivalence of form, as our sages said, “As He is merciful, so you are merciful.” This is the meaning of “You will be holy.” You will be as a desire to bestow. “For I am holy,” for I, too, only bestow. This is why we need equivalence of form, called Dvekut [adhesion].

Now we can understand what we asked. Here it implies that the reason for “You will be holy” is that the Creator is holy. Therefore, what does it mean that our sages said, “for I am holy,” meaning that “If you sanctify yourselves, I will regard you as though you have sanctified Me?” This implies the opposite, that you must be holy so as to seemingly sanctify Me. In general, it is difficult to grasp that the people of Israel should sanctify the Creator. What does it mean?

We always say, “Blessed are You, O Lord, who sanctifies Israel and the times,” “Blessed are You, O Lord, who sanctifies Israel and the day of remembrance.” We also say in the Kiddush [blessing in the beginning of Shabbat (the Sabbath)], “For You have chosen us and sanctified us from among all the nations.” Thus, what does it mean, “as though you have sanctified Me?”

It means that the Creator needs us to give Him something for His benefit, since He seemingly needs our Kedusha, and He cannot obtain this unless through us. Can it be said that He needs the creatures to give Him something?

As we explained, “holy” means bestowing. In order for the creatures to have Kelim to receive His abundance, there must be equivalence of form. That is, the creatures, too, must want only to bestow and not to receive. Otherwise, it will not be apparent that the Creator is bestowing upon them.

This is why the Creator said that “If you sanctify yourselves,” meaning abstain from self-reception, and engage only in work of bestowal, called Kedusha, “I will regard you as though you have sanctified Me.” That is, by engaging in bestowal, you made Me able to bestow abundance upon you.

It therefore follows that the Creator needing the creatures to sanctify Him by sanctifying themselves refers to the revelation that the Creator is the giver. Otherwise, He will have to remain concealed from the creatures. Then, He will not be able to give them abundance because by receiving the abundance they will fall into a Kli of self-reception, an excess.

In other words, previously, they received corporeal delight and pleasure into the vessels of reception. But when He bestows upon them the upper abundance, which is the real pleasure, they will certainly be real receivers, as we know that the light makes the Kli. That is, the pleasure causes coveting, as our sages said, “The eye sees and the heart covets.”

Now we can understand that the Creator needing the creatures to sanctify themselves is for the creatures’ benefit. That is, by working in order to bestow, the Creator will be able to give them abundance and they will remain in bestowal and not in self-love, which creates separation in spirituality.

This is the meaning of the words, “I will regard you as though you have sanctified Me.” In other words, by this, you have made it revealed to all that I am holy, bestowing delight and pleasure upon the entire world, for bestowing means holy.

Now we can understand what we asked about what our sages said, “You will be holy. Can he be like Me? The text explains, ‘for I am holy.’ My holiness is higher than your holiness.” We asked, Can anyone think that the sanctity of Israel is similar to the sanctity of the Creator?

And according to the above said, we should interpret that since the Creator said, “You will be holy,” it means that you will abstain from vessels of reception and work only with vessels of bestowal. “Can he be like Me?” meaning like the Creator, who does not use vessels of reception because from whom would He receive? Instead, everything we can say about the Creator is only from what we receive from Him, as it is written, “By Your actions, we know You.”

For this reason, the Creator says, “Do not think of being like Me,” that you will stay as bestowing in order to bestow, which is the meaning of “Can he be like Me?” In other words, as I give and do not receive anything, you, too, will remain bestowing in order to bestow.

He said about this, “No! you should achieve a state of receivers, actual reception! You must use your vessels of reception. It is only the intention that should be in order to bestow, since the purpose of creation was to do good to His creations, for the creatures to receive delight and pleasure.” This is the meaning of what is written, “My holiness is higher than your holiness.”

It therefore follows that we should discern between the Kedusha of above and the Kedusha of below. Although it is written, “You will be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy,” which we interpreted to mean that you will work only in order to bestow, just as I am the giver, it is as our sages wrote, “As He is merciful, so you be merciful.”

Still, there is a difference between the Kedusha of above and the Kedusha of below. The Kedusha of above is all to bestow. There is no reception there at all. But the Kedusha of below is not so. Rather, the wholeness is precisely when you do use the vessels of reception. The Kedusha is over the intention! In other words, the requirement of the creatures to be holy, meaning giving and not receiving, refers primarily to the intention that they will work in order to bestow.

However, in the order of the work we should discern between Katnut [infancy/smallness] of Kedushaand Gadlut [adulthood/greatness] of Kedusha. The order of the work is that we go from light to heavy. Therefore, we must begin with working so that the actions will be in bestowal in order to bestow. This is regarded as all the Mitzvot [commandments] he performs will be with the aim not to receive reward or anything in return for keeping Torah and Mitzvot. Rather, it will all be Lishma [for Her sake] and not for his own sake. This is called “bestowing in order to bestow.”

Afterward comes the Gadlut, when we begin to work with vessels of reception in order to bestow. This is regarded as the creatures saying, “We want to receive delight and pleasure because this is His will, for He has created the world in order to delight His creatures.” It follows that we should discern two kinds of Kedusha: 1) Kedusha of above, which is all to bestow and not to receive at all, 2) Kedusha of below, which is to receive in action, but the intention is to bestow.

Inapoi la pagina 1987 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Inapoi la pagina 1987 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

The Connection between Passover, Matza, and Maror

Article No. 14, Tav-Shin-Mem-Zayin, 1986-87

It is written in the Haggadah [Passover story]: “Thus did Hillel in the time of the Temple: He would bind together Passover [lamb], Matza, and Maror [bitter herb] and eat them together, to observe what was said, ‘They shall eat it with Matza and bitter herbs.’”

We should understand this in the work. What does the connection between those three things that he would eat together imply?

To understand the meaning of the Passover offering at the time of the exodus from Egypt, when they came out from the enslavement they were under in Egypt, we should first understand the meaning of the exile in Egypt—from what did they suffer there.

Concerning the Maror, it is written in the Haggadah, “This Maror we are eating, what is it for? For the lives of our fathers in Egypt were made bitter by the Egyptians, as it was said, ‘And they made their lives bitter with hard work … which they made them do hard labor.’”

We should understand what “And they made their lives bitter with hard work” means. What is it in the work of the Creator? It is known that the work of the Creator is when we work for the sake of the Creator, when we are rewarded with adhering to the Life of Lives. Precisely when we work in order to bestow, this is the time to receive the delight and pleasure that the Creator created in order to do good to His creations. This means that the salvation of the Lord comes into the vessels of bestowal.

We should make two discernments concerning the entrance of the abundance into the vessels of bestowal: 1) The abundance comes in order to create vessels of bestowal. 2) The light that comes once he has vessels of bestowal.

This means that when one wants to walk on the path of bestowing contentment upon one’s Maker and not for one’s own sake, the body resists with all its might and does not let him make any movement. It takes away from him all the motivation and strength that he had in order to do things for the Creator.

When a person sees the truth as it really is, when he sees how immersed he is in self-love and there is not a spark in his body that will let him do anything in order to bestow, in that state a person has already achieved the truth, meaning he has come to the recognition of evil. At that time he has no way to help himself, and there is only one advice: to cry out to the Creator to help him, as it is written, “And the children of Israel sighed from the work, and they cried out, and their cry rose up to God from the work.”

This is the meaning of what was said, “He who comes to purify is aided.” The Zohar asks, “With what?” It replies, “With a holy soul.”

It follows that the meaning of “And they made their lives bitter” means that they did not let them work in order to bestow, which yields Dvekut [adhesion] with the Life of Lives. Instead, the Klipa[shell/peel] of Egypt and Pharaoh governed the children of Israel with their governance of self-love so they could not do anything against the Egyptians’ will. This was the exile—that they wanted to come out of this exile but could not.

Accordingly, the meaning of what is written, “And the children of Israel sighed from the work,” which work are we speaking of? It means that it is from the work of the Creator, that this is called “hard work,” since it was difficult for them to work in order to bestow because the Egyptians and Pharaoh, King of Egypt, installed in them their thoughts and wishes.

In other words, since the Klipa of Egypt is primarily self-love, the Egyptians ruled over the people of Israel so that the people of Israel, too, would walk in their way, called “self-love.” It was difficult for Israel to overcome these thoughts. This is the meaning of what is written, “And the children of Israel sighed from the work.”

That is, while they were walking on the path of the Egyptians, which is in order to receive, the body gave them fuel and it was not hard for them to do the work of the Creator. It is known that the Egyptians were servants of the Creator, as our sages wrote about what is written (Tanchuma, Beshalach), “And he took six hundred carriages”: “(And should you ask) From where did Egypt have livestock, for it was said, ‘And all the livestock of Egypt died,’ it was from those who fear the word of the Lord, as it is written, ‘The one among the servants of Pharaoh who feared the word of the Lord made his servants and his livestock flee into the houses.’” From here they said, “He who fears the word of the Lord will cause Israel’s failure.”

RASHI concludes from this: “Rabbi Shimon would say, ‘The purest among the Egyptians, kill; the best among the snakes, smash its brains.’” It therefore follows that the hard work that they had was work in the field, for a field is the holy Shechina [Divinity], as it is known that Malchut is called a “field.”

It was difficult for them to take upon themselves the burden of the kingdom of heaven in order to bestow, but the Egyptians wanted them to do the holy work in order to receive. They let them think that this is called “He who fears the word of the Lord.”

However, from here, from this discernment, came Israel’s failure, meaning to those who are Yashar-El[straight to the Creator]. They wanted all their work to be only for their own sake, and from this emerged the failure.

That is, the failure was primarily when the Egyptians spoke to Israel in the language of fearing the Creator. From this language emerge all of Israel’s failures. Had the Egyptians spoke the language of the secular, the people of Israel would have fled from their influence for sure if they had come to them with their thoughts and wishes.

Now we can interpret what is written (Exodus), “And the Egyptians enslaved Israel BaPerech [with hard work].” Our sages said, bePeh Rach [with a soft mouth]. We should understand the meaning of “soft mouth” in the work of the Creator.

As was said above, the Egyptians spoke with thoughts and desires that we must serve the Creator, but in order to receive. This is called a “soft mouth.” That is, the body agrees more to do the holy work with the intention to receive, and there is no need to aim to bestow.

It follows that with these words they caused Israel to have hard work while assuming the burden of the kingdom of heaven, and for this reason, everyone in Israel said that the holy work, in order to bestow, is very difficult.

For this reason, the Egyptians imparted upon them thoughts that it is better to work in order to receive, that in this way they would see that each day they are progressing in good deeds. But in the work in the form of Israel, they see for themselves that it is difficult. And the evidence of this is that they see no progress in the work.

It follows that a “soft mouth” means that they make Israel think that if they follow their way it is easier work. This is called “soft,” meaning that it is easier to advance in the holy work.

With these complaints, the Egyptians made their lives bitter with hard work, for they would always explain to Israel that the work of Israel is called “hard work” and it is not for them.

“With Homer [mortar]” means that the Egyptians explained to Israel the Humra [severity] of bestowal, whereas in the work of Egypt, they will always be white, meaning they will feel no darkness in the work and the body will agree to this work. This is called “Levenim [bricks],” meaning that the work of Egypt is always regarded as Levanim [white], without any stains or dirt, but they will always be perfect. By this they made it really difficult for Israel to work for the Creator.

In other words, the hard work extended from the Egyptians always telling them about the Homer[severity] in the work of bestowal, and the Levanim [whiteness] that there is in this work and the fear of the Egyptians.

It was said that from the one who feared the Lord extended Israel’s failure. This means that from this extended to them the hard work in the field, meaning in the kingdom of heaven that they wanted to take upon themselves but could not.

It is from here that Rabbi Shimon says of “He who fears the word of the Lord”: “The purest among the Egyptians, kill; the best among the snakes, smash its brains.” We should interpret the words of Rabbi Shimon, “The purest among the Egyptians, kill.”

That is, what the Egyptians say is pure, kill, since our sages said, “He who comes to kill you, kill him first.” In other words, that which the Egyptians tell you is pure, that this path is fit to walk in, know that he wishes to kill you from spiritual life. Therefore, kill these thoughts.

“The best among the snakes, smash its brains” means that if the snake, which is the evil in man, advises you that this path is good for you, and makes you clearly see in the way that the serpent came to Eve, do not argue with it, but smash its brains. That is, all the intellect that it explains, smash that intellect. In other words, we must go above reason.

Now we will explain the meaning of the Matza [Passover’s unleavened bread]. In the work, we should interpret the word Matza from the word Meriva [strife], for the “Massah and Meriva, and for the quarrel of the children of Israel, and for their trying the Lord, saying, ‘Is the Lord among us, or not’” (Exodus 17:7).

The translation [into Aramaic] says about Meriva, “The Matza [strife] is because the children of Israel strove.” It follows that Matza comes from the word “strife,” meaning that the people of Israel had a quarrel with the Creator over why He made it so difficult to work in order to bestow, and why, even though they try to come out of Egypt’s governance, not only are they not advancing, they see that they are even regressing.

In other words, they were tasting bitterness in the work, which caused them to quarrel with the Creator, and a strife is called Matza. We see that over such a complaint, the people of Israel quarreled with Moses, meaning when they saw that when they began to work for the sake of the Creator they had become worse, as it is written (Exodus 5:21), “And they said to them, ‘May the Lord look upon you and judge, for you have made our scent odious in Pharaoh’s eyes.’”

These complaints that they said to Moses, Moses said to the Creator, as it is written, “And Moses returned to the Lord and said, ‘O Lord, why have You brought harm to this people? Why did You send me? Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done harm to this people, and You have not delivered Your people at all.’”

We should interpret their complaints to Moses. When they said, “Will see and judge,” it means that they quarreled with Moses, since Moses told them to believe in the Creator, so they went out of the body’s control. Pharaoh King of Egypt controls the body, and he afflicts the Kedusha[sanctity/holiness]. They began to work in mind and heart and saw that the body, which is Pharaoh, began to govern them. That is, everything they wanted to do in the work of the Creator, the body resists it vigorously.

Before they began to walk in Moses’ way, they had strength in the work. But now, everything they do, the body loathes. This is the meaning of what is written about Moses, “for you have made our scent odious in Pharaoh’s eyes.” In other words, our body loathes our spirit in the work of the Creator once we begin the path of bestowal.

Afterward, Moses went to the Creator with the complaints of Israel, who quarreled with Moses over bringing them the message from the Creator. It is written about it, “And Moses returned to the Lord and said, ‘Why have You brought harm to this people? Why did You send me’” (meaning what are the complaints)? He said, “Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done harm to this people, and You have not delivered Your people at all.”

“Ever since I came to the children of Israel” means to their bodies, which are called “Pharaoh.” “To speak in Your name” means that everyone will begin to work for the sake of the Creator. This is the meaning of “in Your name.” It stands to reason that since everyone wants only the truth, for is there anyone who is a fool and wants to walk on the path of falsehood? Rather, indeed everyone wants the truth, as always when knowing that someone is lying, no one wants to listen to him.

But here they said, “Why is it that when Moses came and told them to walk on the path of truth, the body, which is called ‘Pharaoh,’ makes our scent odious when we begin this work?”

For this reason, they had grievances against the Creator over becoming worse now than before Moses came to them as the Creator’s messenger. He wanted to deliver them from exile, so why are they seeing now that they are going deeper into exile, that Pharaoh controls the body more forcefully and with more intellect, making them understand each time with a different argument? It follows that Israel’s situation prior to Moses’ coming to them as a messenger of the Creator was better in the work. Now, however, they see that their bodies, which are regarded as “Pharaoh,” have complete control over the children of Israel.

That is, where there should have been high spirits from knowing that they are walking on the path of truth, the opposite occurred. In the eyes of the body, which is called “Pharaoh,” what spirit did they have? It is written about it, “for you have made our scent odious in Pharaoh’s eyes.” The body was telling them, “What spirit is there in the work of bestowal?”

Making the scent odious means a bad smell that is impossible to tolerate. This means that they could not stand this mindset and wanted to escape the way one runs from stench. That is, instead of the work on the path of truth bringing high spirits so that a person will want to stay forever in that mindset, the opposite occurred here. From the work of bestowal, they received a mindset of stench, meaning that they wanted to escape that mindset and could not stand it for even a minute. It is as was said to Moses, “for you have made our scent odious.”

Moses brought Israel’s grievances to the Creator and asked Him, “Why have You sent me?” The Creator replied to Moses, as it is written, “And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Now you will see that which I will do to Pharaoh, for with a mighty hand he will send them.’” The answer to why He has made the work of bestowal so hard was that He wanted the mighty hand to be revealed, as it is written, “for with a mighty hand he will send them, and with a mighty hand he will drive them out of his land.”

In which way is a mighty hand necessary? It is precisely when the other party resists with all its might. Then it can be said that we must use a mighty hand. But if the other party is weak, it cannot be said that it requires a mighty hand to deal with it. It is as the allegory that Baal HaSulam said, that normally, when two people are disputed, sometimes they move into a fist fight. The one who sees that he cannot overcome the other takes a knife against him. When the other one sees that he has a knife, he takes a pistol, and when that one sees he has a pistol, he takes a rifle, and so forth, until the other one takes a machine gun, and if he has a machine gun, the other one takes a tank. However, we have never heard that if someone takes a stick and wants to hit with it, the other one takes a tank to fight the one who took the stick.

It is likewise in the work. It cannot be said that we must go against Pharaoh with a mighty hand if Pharaoh does not resist very strongly. And since the Creator wanted to show him a mighty hand here, the Creator had to harden Pharaoh’s heart, as it is written, “for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I may set these tokens of Mine within him.”

However, we should understand why it is written that the Creator hardened Pharaoh’s heart because the Creator wanted to set those tokens so that the name of the Creator would become known. Is the Creator deficient? Does he need others to know that He can set tokens and signs? Also, what does it imply to us in the work that we should know this for generations?

According to what Baal HaSulam said about the question that Abraham asked after the Creator promised him (Genesis 15:7), “And He said to him, ‘to give you the land to inherit it.’” He asked, “How will I know that I will inherit it?” “And He said to Abram: ‘Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and they will be enslaved and afflicted four hundred years. …And afterward they will come out with many possessions.’”

He asked, What is the answer to Abram’s question, “How will I know that I will inherit it,” meaning what is the meaning of what the Creator replied to him?

Answer: “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers … and they will be afflicted. …And afterward they will come out with many possessions.” He asked, “The text implies that the answer was satisfactory, since Abram did not ask further, and we see that Abram’s way was to argue with the Creator, as in the case of the people of Sodom when the Creator said to Abram, ‘The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great.’”

But here, when He told him, “Know for certain,” he was pleased with the reply.

He said that since Abraham saw the magnitude of the inheritance that He had promised to his sons, Abraham thought according to the rule that there is no light without a Kli [vessel], meaning there is no lack without a filling. He did not see that the children of Israel would need such high degrees and attainments in the upper worlds, which is why he asked the Creator, “How will I know that I will inherit it,” since they haven’t the Kelim [vessels] or the need for the great inheritance that You are showing me that You will give to my sons; they haven’t the need.

To this, the Creator replied to him, “I will give them a need for the lights, just as I will give them the lights.” In other words, the Creator will give them both the lights and the Kelim. Do not think that I bestow only the abundance. Rather, I bestow upon them both the need, which is called Kli, and the abundance. This is called “lack and filling.”

By the people of Israel being in exile in Egypt four hundred years, which is a complete degree of four Behinot [discernments], by being in exile in a land that is not theirs, meaning that the Egyptians will impart Israel with a desire for self-reception, a desire that does not belong to Kedusha, which is called Eretz [land], from the word Ratzon [desire], and their wanting to escape that desire, when I make them unable to come out of that governance by themselves and see that only the Creator can help them, and they will have no other choice but to ask Me for help, it is as our sages said, “He who comes to purify is aided.” And The Zohar says that the help is that they are given a holy soul. By the many prayers when they seek the Creator’s assistance, they will receive a higher degree each time, and by this they will have a need to ask of the Creator. This will cause them to ask of the Creator and receive a higher degree, after which I will be able to give them the inheritance.

Thus, the Creator deliberately made them unable to overcome, so they would have Kelim.

It follows that the hardening of the heart was done to Pharaoh in order to make room for a need for the upper lights. If they did not have hard work, they would not have the need for the great lights.

One who is going to fight against someone, with the hand or with a stick, the other has no need to use a tank or a cannon against him. For this reason, in order for the lower ones to have a need to receive great lights, they must be faced with strong Klipot [shells/peels], which a person must draw great lights in order to break. Otherwise, he would be content with little. It follows that Pharaoh’s hardening of the heart causes them to draw great lights.

By this we will understand what we asked, “Did He set the tokens in order for the nations to know that the Creator can do miracles and wonders? That is, did He make the hardening of the heart in order to be respected? Does the Creator have grievances against His creations, meaning does something against the will of the creatures? After all, the whole purpose of creation is to do good to His creations, and here it turns out the opposite, that He made the hardening of the heart to the creatures so everyone would see His greatness, that He is almighty.

Now we can understand this simply. Pharaoh and Egypt refer to the governance of the will to receive that is in the creatures. In order for the creatures to need to receive the high degrees that the Creator has prepared for them, and our sages said that by their being unable to overcome their will to receive, they will awaken to Dvekut with the Creator, which came to them by merit of the patriarchs, to whom the Creator promised that their children would be rewarded with the delight and pleasure that He has prepared for the creatures, for this reason, He made the hardening of the heart, so that they would need to ask the Creator to help them. His help comes, as The Zohar says, by bestowing upon them a holy soul.

It follows that all the overcoming is that they draw a little bit of illumination from above. By this they will eventually have Kelim, meaning a need for the inheritance that the Creator promised to the forefathers. It therefore follows that the verse, “that I may set these tokens of Mine” is not for the sake of the Creator, but for the sake of the creatures. It means that through the hardening of the heart that He does to Pharaoh, where the body becomes more assertive each time and does not let a person work in order to bestow, but since man yearns for Dvekut with the Creator, he must try to make greater efforts each time or he will not be able to defeat it. And in order to receive greater powers, the only counsel is to pray to the Creator, for only He can give him the required forces.

The forces of the Creator are as said above: The spiritual force that the Creator gives him each time is called a “soul,” the “light of Torah.” This means that each time, he receives the “letters of the Torah” according to the overcoming that he needs to perform. This is called “that I may set these tokens of Mine.” Meaning, in order for the letters of the Torah to reveal to Israel, He must create in them a need. This is the meaning of the Creator giving the hardening of the heart for the sake of the creatures.

Accordingly, we can understand what we said above, that we need upper abundance for the making of the Kelim, meaning to have Kelim fit to receive the upper light. This assistance is regarded as the light coming to make Kelim of Kedusha, which will want to work in order to bestow, as in, “He who comes to purify is aided.”

Once he has obtained the Kelim that want to bestow upon the Creator, the abundance comes as abundance and not in order to make Kelim.

In that respect, when he has a desire for the Creator, he no longer needs the hardening of the heart in order to receive the light of the Torah, since according to the rule, when a person works for his own sake, a different thought comes to him—that from here, too, from this pleasure, called “the pleasure of rest,” you should not deny yourself. It follows that the pleasure of rest causes him not to have a need for higher degrees. Instead, he is content with less. This is why the Creator had to give the hardening of the heart, meaning that he sees that he cannot do anything for the Creator, that as long as he has not qualified his Kelim to work in order to bestow and he is still in self-love, they give him satisfaction in the little bit of work for the sake of the Creator with which he was rewarded. Since he feels that he is working for the Creator, he is satisfied and cannot yearn for higher degrees. It follows that there was no room for the revealing of the letters of the Torah.

For this reason, each time he receives some help from above and then descends from his degree once more and wants to enter the Kedusha, he must receive help once more. It is as it is written about Pharaoh in the plague of the hail: “And Pharaoh sent and called for Moses, ‘The Lord is the righteous one, and I and my people are the wicked.’” Afterward, it is written, “Come unto Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart that I may set these tokens of Mine within him.”

That order continues until he corrects his Kelim that belong to his degree, and then begins the order of the coming of the lights.

However, when he has been rewarded with Kelim of Kedusha and wants only to bestow upon his Maker, he does not say, “Now I am saying that I have already given you a lot and now I want to rest a little bit because I need to receive for my own sake, too.” Instead, one who has only the desire to bestow does not need to be given hardening of the heart, as when he is making the vessels of bestowal, since he has no interest in this. One who has been rewarded with the desire to bestow wants only to bestow upon the Creator.

It therefore follows that when a person has only the desire to bestow and he wants to bring contentment to the Creator, he begins to think what the Creator needs that he can give to the Creator, which He does not have. Therefore, he decides that the Creator has no lacks except that He has created the world with the intention to do good to His creations, for the creatures to receive from Him the delight and pleasure. For this reason, he asks the Creator to give him the delight and pleasure because this can be said that He needs—for the lower ones to receive from Him the great lights that have been prepared for the creatures. From this we can say that the Creator enjoys.

But if the lower ones are unable to receive the light of Torah, called “letters of the Torah,” it is as though there is a lack above. This is the meaning of what our sages said (Sanhedrin 46), “When a person regrets, what does the Shechina [Divinity] say? ‘My head is heavy; my arm is heavy.’” Thus, when is there contentment above? Only when the creatures have delight and pleasure.

For this reason, at that time there is no room for hardening of the heart. Rather, the time when hardening of the heart must be given from above is only for the purpose of making vessels of bestowal so that one can receive delight and pleasure, which is in order to “set these tokens of Mine.” We should interpret that this refers to letters, for letters are called Kelim. That is, in order for a person to have a need, called Kelim, there needs to be a hardening of the heart, as it is written, “that I may set these tokens of Mine.” But once he has the Kelim, there is no more a need for the hardening of the heart.

Now we can understand what we asked about the connection between Passover, Matza, and Maror[bitter herb], as Hillel did at the time when the Temple stood, and said it was to keep what was said, “they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.”

We asked what this implies in the work of the Creator. According to the above, it follows that the essence of the purpose of the work is to achieve Dvekut with the Creator. Because of the disparity of form within us due to the will to receive that was imprinted in us, the creatures became removed from the Creator. This is mainly what we must correct.

However, the question is, “How do we correct this, since equivalence of form is about bestowing and not receiving, and how can we go against nature, since the body has its own nature?” The answer is through the power of Torah and Mitzvot.

If the creatures were to receive the force of bestowal easily, they would settle for this, since they would feel that they are already giving and they would have no need to reveal the letters of the Torah, as was said, “that I may set these tokens of Mine,” for the Creator wants to reveal to them the Torah as the names of the Creator.

But from where will they take the need for this? After all, once they have prevailed over the will to receive and want only to bestow upon the Creator, they already have Dvekut. What else do they need? Also, it is known that there is no light without a Kli, and no filling without a lack. So, what did the Creator do? He gave the hardening of the heart so that a person will not be able to overcome the evil in him by himself, but will need help from the Creator, as was said, “He who comes to purify is aided with a holy soul.”

Concerning the soul, it is written in the book A Sage’s Fruit: Letters of Baal HaSulam: “There are five discernments in the soul, and they are called NRNHY. In the NRNHY, we make two discernments: 1) lights, 2) Kelim. We obtain the Kelim of the NRNHY by observing the 613 Mitzvot [commandments] of the Torah, and the seven Mitzvot of our great sages. The lights of NRNHY are the essence of the Torah, and the light clothed in the Torah is Ein Sof [infinity]. It follows that the Torah and the soul are one, but the Creator is Ein Sof who is clothed in the light of the Torah that exists in the above-mentioned 620 Mitzvot. This is the meaning of what our sages said, ‘The whole of the Torah is the names of the Creator.’ This means that the Creator is the whole, and the 620 names are pieces and parts. These parts are according to the steps and degrees of the soul, which does not receive its light at once, but gradually, one at a time.”

From this we see that the Creator has made it so that man will not be able to overcome the evil by himself, but will need the Creator’s help. But there is a state of in-between, meaning that this causes one to taste bitterness in the work because the body does not let him work in order to bestow. This causes him to quarrel with the Creator over why He has created a body that is so bad that he is utterly incapable of exiting the governance of evil, called “will to receive for himself.” When all the Kelim that a person needs to complement himself are completed, so as to have a Kli in which to hold the blessing, he begins to feel the salvation of the Creator, meaning that he feels on himself the nearing of the Creator.

By this we will understand the connection between Matza, Maror, and the Passover offering. Through Matza and Maror he obtains the real need for the letters of the Torah. That is, only through Matza and Maror does a need for the Creator’s help form within him, and His help is through the soul, regarded as “The Torah and the Creator are one,” as was said in the book A Sage’s Fruit.

When he has the need, the Creator brings a person closer, and this is called “the Passover offering,” when the Creator passes over all of his flaws and brings him closer to be rewarded with the purpose of creation.

Inapoi la pagina 1987 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link