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Lishma and Lo Lishma

Article No. 29, Tav-Shin-Mem-Vav, 1985-86

We find four kinds of keepers of Torah and Mitzvot [commandments]:

The first kind: Sometimes a person observes Shabbat because his boss forces him. That is, the rule is that if a person has an employee who is desecrating the Shabbat, if he tells the employee, “If you don’t stop desecrating the Shabbat I will fire you,” the rule is that he has to say that he will observe the Shabbat or he will fire him from his job. And where there are no other jobs, he promises the boss to observe the Shabbat. It follows that he is observing Shabbat because the boss has forced him.

This brings up the question, “Whose Shabbat is he observing? Is it the Shabbat that the Creator has commanded to observe?” Accordingly, is he keeping the Mitzvot of the Creator or the Mitzvot of the boss, since the boss commanded him to observe the Shabbat or he will have no provision? Nevertheless, according to the Halacha [Jewish law], he is regarded as “observing Shabbat.”

The same rule applies to the rest of the Mitzvot. We can put it differently: If a father knows that if he tells is son that he must observe Torah and Mitzvot or he will not support him, since the father knows that if he does not support him he will have no provision, and according to the Halacha, the father must see that the son observes Torah and Mitzvot, here, too, there is the question, “Whose Torah is he observing? Is it the Creator’s who has commanded us to observe Torah and Mitzvot, or is he observing his father’s Torah and Mitzvot?”

Whatever the case may be, he belongs to people who observe Torah and Mitzvot. These are the words of Maimonides (Hilchot De’ot, Chapter 6): “He who admonishes his friend first, will not speak harshly to him.” What is this about? It is about matters that concern man and man. However, with Godly matters, if he does not secretly repent, he is shamed in public and his sin is made known. He is cursed to his face, and he is disparaged and cursed until he reforms.”

Here, too, there is the question, “Whose Mitzvot is he observing, those of the Creator or those of the people who are cursing him?” However, here, too, we see that at the end of the day he is regarded as “observing Torah and Mitzvot.” That is, when we consider the act he is performing, we find that there is nothing to add to the action. The only question pertains to the intention, meaning to the reason that compels him to observe the Torah and Mitzvot. This is the first kind of observing Torah and Mitzvot.

The second kind: He observes Torah and Mitzvot because of upbringing, since he was born into an orthodox environment, or he was not born into an orthodox environment but later came into one and they influenced him into observing Torah and Mitzvot. The reason for which he observes Torah and Mitzvot is that he was told that by this he will have both the life of this world and the life of the next world. Afterwards he began to see that people who are meticulous about Torah and Mitzvot are respected and appreciated, and saw how others speak to such people who pray more enthusiastically and dedicate more time to studying Torah. The respect they receive gives him a thrust, it is a fuel for him, and he, too, begins to pray more enthusiastically, and is more meticulous with each commandment and gesture. By this he has strength to add time in studying Torah.

This is already the second kind of observing Torah and Mitzvot, since he wants to observe Torah and Mitzvot out of choice, since he understands that by this the Creator will reward him for keeping His commandments. However, he adds another name to the reason that commits him to observe Torah and Mitzvot. That is, the respect that he sees that those who observe Torah and Mitzvot more diligently than others receive. And besides the respect, those who are meticulous about Torah and Mitzvot have other things that the public commit them to work more. It can be money or anything, but there is another reason for which he must observe Torah and Mitzvot.

It follows that on the one hand he is higher than the first kind, since here he is observing the Torah and Mitzvot of the Creator, since he believes in the Creator. It is unlike the first kind, which does not believe in the Creator and observes Torah and Mitzvot out of knowing, meaning the punishment—that the boss might fire him—and this is why he has taken upon himself to observe Torah and Mitzvot.

However, the second kind was educated into believing in the Creator and observing Torah and Mitzvot because the Creator has commanded us to observe Torah and Mitzvot. The reward and punishment are not in knowing. Rather, he must believe in reward in punishment, that the Creator is the one who pays the reward, as our sages said (Avot, Chapter 2, 21), “You can trust your landlord to pay you for your work, and known that the reward of the righteous is in the future.”

Thus, he must believe in reward and punishment. This is not so in the first kind. They do not have to believe in reward and punishment, but the reward and the punishment are rather revealed. This means that if he does not obey the boss and observe Torah and Mitzvot, he will certain be punished, meaning he will be fired and will be left jobless.

Also, according to the abovementioned words of Maimonides that he must be degraded, etc., here, too, he does not need to believe in reward and punishment because he feels the suffering of being chased into taking upon himself to observe Torah and Mitzvot. This is something else because he is actually observing the commandment of the boss and not because of the commandment of the Creator, so it is regarded as only the first kind of the work of the Creator.

In the second kind he observes the commandments of the Creator but adds another thing, meaning adds another reason so as to have fuel to observe Torah and Mitzvot, such as honor or money, or other things. That is, he has other reasons for which he observes Torah and Mitzvot. In the words of our sages (Sukkah 45b), this is called “Anyone who joins working for the Creator with another thing is uprooted from the world, as it is said, ‘For the Lord alone.’”

We should interpret what it means to join the Creator with something else. According to our way, we should interpret that if he receives another reason that compels him to observe Torah and Mitzvot, it is regarded as being uprooted from the world, since the reason that the cause for observing Torah and Mitzvot should be “for the Lord alone,” meaning that he observes Torah and Mitzvot because it is the Creator’s commandment, without an addition of another reason.

It therefore follows that the main flaw with the act is that he blemishes Lishma [for Her sake], since observing Mitzvot should be because he works and observes the commandments of the Creator, and because he is working and serving the Creator, and this is why he later comes to ask that the Creator will reward him for his work. At that time he is told, “But you also worked for others, so you had others who obliged you to work for them. Go to them so they will pay you the reward for the work you did for them.”

This is similar to someone working for Dan [Israeli bus company], and asking for a salary from EGED [a different bus company]. They do not want to pay his salary since he did not work for them. It is likewise here. When a person demands of the Creator to reward him for his work, he is told, “You worked for people, so they will give you honor or money. Go to them so they will pay you.” And indeed, they pay him. To the extent of his work, he is respected.

It turns out that by joining the Creator another thing, meaning that people, too, commit him to work, by that he blemishes the Lishma. This is why this is regarded as only the second kind, and his work is still not complete, perfect, and clean.

The third kind: he works only for the Creator and not for people. He works humbly and no one knows how much he prays and how much he learns. Therefore, we cannot say that he is working for outside people at all, so they will give him something for his work. Rather, he is working only for the Creator, meaning that the only reason that compels him to observe Torah and Mitzvot is that he wants to keep the Creator’s will.

However, he works only for a reward. It is as Maimonides said, “So that no calamities will come to him, and to receive reward in this world,” meaning so the Creator will give him health, provision, and contentment from the children, etc., or so that He will give him the next world. This is the reason that gives him fuel so he can do the holy work. For this reason, this work is regarded as Lishma, since the reason that causes him to observe Torah and Mitzvot is only the Creator, meaning that he is working only for the Creator and does not add other things to it.

That is, he has no other reason that causes him to observe Torah and Mitzvot. This is regarded as the third kind because he has no desire to work for anyone; only for the Creator. But the reason that obliges him to observe the commandments of the Creator is fear of punishment, or love, meaning the love of the reward.

This is as it is written in the Sulam [commentary on The Zohar] (“Introduction of the Book of Zohar,” item 190): “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.”

For this reason, since they are not primarily for fear of heaven, we discern this as the third kind. It follows that this work is called Lishma, since he is working for the Creator and not for others, too. That is, he did not take anyone else for whom to work, meaning for others, so others will respect him. Rather, he comes to the Creator with the complaint that “Since I have been working only for You, and no one knows what I did in observing Torah and Mitzvot because I have been working humbly, then it is only right that You should reward me for my work.”

In this way we should interpret what our sages said, “He who gives a rock to charity so that his sons will live is a complete righteous.” The reason is that he is observing the commandments of the Creator. Because the Creator has commanded us to give charity, we give. It turns out that with respect to giving there are no deficiencies here, since he is observing the Mitzva [commandment] Lishma, meaning for the Creator, and there is no one else obliging him to give charity.

Rather, he is asking reward from the Creator, that He will pay for the Mitzva that he is observing, and pay him for the labor he has given only for the Creator and for none other. That is, it is not like the second kind, where he combined something else, as well, meaning people from the outside who also caused him to observe and be meticulous with observing Torah and Mitzvot.

It is as they said (Pesachim, 8a), “The Tania, who says, ‘This rock is for charity, so that his sons will live, or that I will go to the next world,’ then he is a complete righteous.” RASHI interprets “he is a complete righteous” in this. They did not say that he is working Lo Lishma, but that he has kept the commandment of his Creator, who commanded to give charity, and even if he intends for his own pleasure, to be rewarded with the next world or that his sons will live.

This means that although he is asking for reward for observing the Mitzva, meaning so that his sons will live or because he wants the reward of the next world for this Mitzva, he is a righteous. The fact that he wants the next world is also regarded as wanting reward, such as so that his sons will live. It is like the above words of the holy Zohar, “Whether he wants a reward in this world or in the next world in return for the Mitzvot, it is not regarded as the essential fear,” since his own benefit is the cause for observing the Mitzvot, and not the Creator. Still our sages said here, “He is a complete righteous.” It is as RASHI interprets, that “since he is observing the Mitzvot of his Creator, who has commanded him to give charity, and also intends for his own pleasure, therefore he is called ‘complete righteous.’”

This is as we explained, that because he is working because the Creator has commanded him to observe Torah and Mitzvot, and he has no one else who obliges him to observe Torah and Mitzvot, this is called Lishma, as RASHI interpreted above. It is like the abovementioned allegory, meaning that he works for Reuven but he asks for the salary from Shimon. This is certainly called Lo Lishma, for he was working for others at the same time, which is called Lo Lishma, and also “the second kind.”

(I heard that there are those who try to explain our sages, who said, “One who says, ‘this rock is for charity, so that my sons will live,’ he is a complete righteous.” After all, he meets the conditions of observing the Mitzva. Therefore, they try to say that it was written in initials, “he is a CR.” Afterwards, when they wrote it in explicit words, they turned the CR into Complete Righteous. However, they were mistaken in interpreting the initials, since Tzadi-Gimel [Tzadik Gamur (Complete Righteous)] means Tzedakah Gedolah [Great Righteousness/Charity], and not Tzadik Gamur [Complete Righteous]. However, this is probably not the case, since they cannot explain the other verse, which says, “Or that I will have the next world,” since by “next world” he also aims to please himself, the same as “so my sons will live,” as the above words of the holy Zohar.)

However, the third kind means that he is working for the Creator, as the Creator commanded us through Moses to observe Torah and Mitzvot, and we are asking for reward from Him, since we worked only for Him, because of the commandment of the Creator, and not for anyone else. This is why it is called Lishma. However, it is only the third kind.

The fourth kind observes Torah and Mitzvot not in order to receive reward. It is as our sages said (Avot, Chapter 1, 3), “Antiganos, Man of Socho, received from Shimon the Righteous. He would say, ‘Be not as servants serving the master in order to receive reward, but be as servants serving the master not in order to receive reward, and let the fear of heaven be upon you.’”

This means that it is specifically not in order to receive reward that is regarded as “for the Creator,” as he concludes and says, “and let the fear of heaven be upon you.” This means that real fear of heaven is specifically in Lishma [for Her sake] without any reward. That is, he does not intend for self-gratification, but his only intention is to bring contentment to the Creator. This is regarded as “clean Lishma,” without any mixture of self-gratification. This is called the “fourth kind.”

However, we know the question, “Is the Creator deficient that He needs the creatures to work only for Him and not at all for themselves, but only for the Creator without a shred of self-gratification? And if they want to enjoy their work, as well, is this work disqualified and not accepted above as Mitzva that is worthy of being received by the King? Why should the Creator mind that man also has some pleasure in the work?”

The answer is that it is because there needs to be equivalence of form so there will not be bread of shame. The rule is that the branch wants to resemble its root, and as the Creator is the giver, when a person must receive from someone he feels it as unpleasant. It follows that the restriction and concealment on our vessels of reception so we do not work in order to receive reward were made in our favor.

Otherwise, it would not be possible to have choice. That is, man would never be able to do and to keep the Torah and Mitzvot in order to bestow, since man would not be able to overcome the pleasure that he tasted in Torah and Mitzvot, were it not for the restriction and concealment, as it is known that the greater the pleasure, the harder it is to relinquish it.

For this reason, we were given corporeal pleasures where there is only very thin light, which the holy Zohar calls “thin light,” which fell into the Klipot at the time of the breaking of the vessels. Also, sparks of holiness were added to them after the sin of the tree of knowledge when Adam HaRishon sinned. These are the pleasures that all created beings pursue. All the wars, murders, thefts, and so forth, that exist in the world are because each one aspires to receive pleasure.

We are meant to overcome these pleasures and receive everything for the Creator. But a person sees how hard it is to exit self-love and relinquish little pleasures. For this reason, were it not for the Tzimtzum [restriction], had the real pleasure that exists in Torah and Mitzvot been revealed, there is no doubt that they would not be able to relinquish the pleasures and say that he is observing Torah and Mitzvot because he wants to bring contentment to the Creator.

However, man cannot agree to observe Torah and Mitzvot without any pleasure because of our nature—that we were born with a Kli [vessel] called “desire to receive delight and pleasure,” so how can we work without any reward?

However, we were given one place on which we can work without any reward. That is, even when we still do not have a taste for Torah and Mitzvot due to the Tzimtzum, there is one advice, which is to work in greatness of the Creator, how privileged we are to be serving the King.

This, we do have in our nature, that the little one annuls before the great one. We have the strength and motivation to work for the great one, whom the generation regards as the most important and venerable in the world. To the extent of his importance, we enjoy serving him. This pleasure is permitted to receive because enjoying giving is not regarded as bestowing in order to receive, for bestowing in order to receive means that he desires specifically a reward for the service he is giving him.

Conversely, if he works at a factory and knows that the owner enjoys everyone being productive, and anyone who produces more than the usual gives the owner great joy. Therefore, he tries to produce more than other workers do so as to delight the owner. However, afterwards he wants the owner to reward him for trying to please him. This is considered that on the one hand he gives, but on the other hand he wants reward. This is called “bestowing in order to receive reward.”

This is not so if a person is serving the king, and says to the king, “I do not want anything in return for the service because I enjoy the service alone, and I do not need to receive any reward, since I feel that anything you give me for the service I am doing for you will blemish my service. All I want is the service. Do not give me any reward, and this is my pleasure, for it is a great honor for me to be rewarded with serving the king.”

Of course, he cannot say that he is bestowing in order to receive, since he does not want to receive anything in return. And why does he not want? It is because he derives great pleasure from serving the king. It follows that this is regarded as “bestowing in order to bestow upon an important person,” and a person measures the importance of the king according to the extent of his joy of serving the king, since the more the king is important, the more he enjoys, for he is not as one who serves the greatest in the city, or the greatest in the country, or the greatest in the world.

This is regarded as true bestowal. That is, he enjoys the giving itself, since the main point of bestowing was for the purpose of equivalence of form. That is, as the Creator is the giver, so the creatures want to be givers, and we should certainly say that the Creator enjoys His giving.

It follows that if the creatures bestow upon the Creator and He derives no joy, there is still no equivalence of form here, since the Creator enjoys when He gives to the lower ones. This means that the joy results from the act of bestowal, and if we must receive something in return for the act, then we are blemishing the act and saying that there is no wholeness in the act. Rather, to have wholeness we must add something, meaning something in return for the act, while the act itself is not so important.

But the truth is that if we want to do an act of bestowal upon the Creator we must try to enjoy because the joy of an act of bestowal regards the action. This is so because every single thing that a person wants to do and which is important to him, he gives it a priority to do it first. And the meter by which a person chooses what is most important is that which he enjoys the most.

It therefore follows that if one wants to appreciate the work he is doing for the Creator, he can appreciate it only by receiving great joy. That is, if one can try to derive great joy then he can know that now he is giving great contentment to the Creator by giving to the Creator when he observes His commandments.

That is, a man desires to bestow contentment upon the Creator but does not know what he can give to the Creator that will delight Him. For this reason, when it is revealed to us that He has given us Torah and Mitzvot, and if we observe them He will enjoy, we are certainly happy that now we know what to do for Him. We therefore see that we were given the blessing to do while observing Torah and Mitzvot, since we say, “Blessed are You the Lord, Giver of the Torah.”

It is written in the Mitzvot that we thank Him for giving to us, for example, the Mitzva of the Sukkah[the hut on Tabernacle Feast]. For example, we are all happy that He instructs us what to do that will delight Him, and we do not need to search for things that will delight the Creator. But he question is, how can we increase our pleasure while performing the Mitzvot?

Answer: There is only one way—to try to attain the greatness of the Creator. That is, in all that we do in Torah and Mitzvot, we want our reward to be the feeling of the greatness of the Creator, and all our prayers should be to “raise the Shechina [Divinity] from the dust,” since the Creator is hidden from us due to the Tzimtzum that took place and we cannot appreciate His importance and greatness.

Therefore, we pray to the Creator to remove His concealment from us and to raise the merit of Torah. As we say in the Eighteen Prayer of Rosh Hashanah [New Year service], “Indeed, give glory to Your people.” That is, “Give the glory of the Lord to Your people,” so they will feel the glory of the King.

For this reason, one must try to remember the goal while studying Torah, so it will always be before his eyes what he wants to receive from the study, that the study will impart greatness and importance of the Creator. Also, while observing the Mitzvot, not to forget the intention by which he keeps the Mitzvot. Thanks to this the Creator will lift the concealment on spirituality from him and he will receive a feeling of the greatness of the Creator.

However, it is hard work observing Torah and Mitzvot with the intention to thereby be rewarded with approaching the Creator—to obtain the greatness of the Creator so he can bring Him contentment because of the importance of the Creator, that this will be his reward and he has no desire for any other reward for his work. The body does not agree to work with this intention.

The holy Zohar (Nasso, items 102-104) says, “Mighty men roam from city to city and are not pardoned. The mixed-multitude ban them among them, and in many places they are given only rations. Thus, they were will be no rise to their fall, not even momentarily. And all the sages and mighty men who fear sin are afflicted, pressed and in grief. They are regarded as dogs, children weighed against fine gold, how they are regarded as clay jars out on every street, etc. These mixed-multitude are rich, peaceful, joyous, without sorrow or affliction whatsoever, robbers and bribers, and are the judges, the heads of the people.”

We see in these words of The Zohar that it distinguishes between sages and mighty men who fear sin, and judges and the heads of the people, who are regarded as the mixed multitude. He says that the sages and the mighty men who fear sin are afflicted and stressed, while the judges and the heads of the people are rich, peaceful, and joyous. Why? Because they are the mixed-multitude.

We should understand the meaning of mixed-multitude, that because they are the mixed-multitude they have joy and peace. We see that in the argument that Jacob had with Esau, Esau said to Jacob, I have enough, and Jacob replied, “I have everything.” We need to understand the difference between enough and everything.

It is known that the Sefira Yesod is called “everything,” that it is regarded as Yesod Tzadik [righteous], as we say in the prayer, “To You, Lord, is the greatness, the might, the grandeur, eternity, and splendor.” It is so because “everything” is Yesod, and righteous, called Yesod, only gives. The Sefira Yesod gives to Malchut, as it is known, and as it is written in the holy Zohar. This means that the degree of Yesod is Tzadik, who takes nothing for himself, but all his works are in order to bestow.

Certainly, when a person begins to work on being righteous, meaning not to receive any reward for himself and to work only in order to bestow contentment upon his Maker, the body disagrees and gives him obstructions. It does everything it can to interfere with his work. At that time a person is constantly afflicted and has no peace with the situation he is in because he sees that he has not yet come to be a giver upon the Creator. Rather, everything he does is still without the ability to direct them in order to bestow.

He is always afflicted over it because of the sorrow of the Shechina, called “Shechina in exile.” He is in pain that for self-love he has the strength to work, but where he sees that his will to receive will not have anything he negligent in the work.

It follows after some time of exerting in the work and wanting to see some closeness to the Creator, he feels each time more of the truth about him: that he is truly remote from the Creator. That is, with respect to equivalence of form, as in, “As He is merciful, you, too, are merciful,” he is the opposite. Previously he thought that he wanted to bring contentment to the Creator and that there will be some joy in this. He hoped that he would receive for his work the reward of this world, as well as the reward of the next world. But now he sees that he is powerless to work for the Creator, but it is all in order to receive for himself, and not at all to bestow.

What he sees now is that he is worse than when he started the work. When he began to work in the third kind, he had joy and peace because he knew and believed that each day his possessions were accumulating into a great amount, since each day when he does good deeds, the reward of each Mitzva is registered to his account. That faith caused him joy and peace because he saw that he was advancing in the work, meaning that his possessions were growing each and every day.

But now that he has moved from the third kind and has begun the work of the fourth kind, which is work not in order to receive reward, he is afflicted and pressed because he is examining himself with vessels of bestowal how much he has already acquired of this Kli.

At that time he sees the opposite, that each day as he exerts and wants to achieve closeness with the Creator, meaning to have a desire to bestow, he sees the truth, that each day he has become more and more remote. According to what Baal HaSulam said, why does one see that he is becoming more remote, since each day he is doing good deeds, and accordingly, the deeds should have brought him closer?

Our sages said, “I have created the evil inclination, I have created the Torah as a spice.” Therefore, why does one who begin to work in bestowal sees that he is growing worse each day? He says that it is not so, that in truth, he is not regressing each day as he thinks. Rather, each day he is going forward. The reason he sees that he has become worse is that first one needs to see the falsehood and the evil, and then they can be corrected.

But when a person simply wants to block a holy or a crack in a building, and thinks that the hole and the crack are twenty centimeters long, and he works and toils, and finally sees that there are twenty more centimeters to clog. It follows that as long as he does not see the real deficiency he is working in vain, meaning he is not correcting anything.

The lesson is that one thinks he has, for example, one kilogram of evil, and he wants to fix it. He begins to fix, but then he sees that there is another kilogram of evil. It follows that he has not corrected anything. But if he sees the full measure of evil in him, and then he fixes it, this is called “complete correction.”

This is why Baal HaSulam said that each day when he engages in work in order to bestow he draws closer to the truth, meaning to see the size of evil in him. In a dark house it is impossible to see that there are dirt and garbage there. But if you bring some light inside then you can see that there are dirt and garbage.

Similarly, when a person begins to engage in Torah and Mitzvot in bestowal, the Torah and Mitzvotilluminate for him more each time, to see the truth about the size of evil in him. It therefore follows that each day he is moving forward until he reaches the complete evil within him. Then, when we begin to correct, a complete correction is made, so that afterwards he can put in his Kelim [vessels] the delight and pleasure that the Creator contemplated giving to the creatures, as it is written that the purpose of creation is to do good to His creations.

We find this matter in the exodus from Egypt. The holy ARI said that at the time of the exodus from Egypt, Israel were in 49 gates of Tuma’a [impurity], until the King of Kings appeared to them and redeemed them. Everyone asks about this: Can it be that the people of Israel, who heard of the mission of the Creator from Moses and Aaron, whom He sent to deliver from the exile in Egypt, as the holy ARI interprets, that the exile in Egypt means that the view of Kedusha [holiness] was in exile. Moses and Aaron promised the people of Israel that they would come out of exile and enter the Kedusha. It is as we say in the Shema [Hear] reading, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from the land of Egypt to be your God.”

Accordingly, it stands to reason that each day they should have risen from degree to degree in Kedusha, especially that they saw the ten plagues that occurred in Egypt. Still, the holy ARI says that at the time of the exodus from Egypt the people of Israel were in 49 gates of Tuma’a.

However, each day they ascended in the degree of truth and came closer to seeing the measure of evil that they had in the vessels of reception. That is, before Moses and Aaron came to tell them that they must come out of the exile in Egypt, which is the Klipa [shell/peel] that suckles from the Kedusha, as the holy ARI says, the people of Israel began to move away from them. At that time the Klipa of Egypt began to fight them with powerful forces.

That is, the Klipa of Egypt let the people of Israel see that it was not worth it to exit self-reception. And concerning work of bestowal, they let them see that it is difficult and not worth it to work for nothing, that they would not be rewarded with it anyway, since it requires special forces. And the more the people of Israel received strengthening from Moses and Aaron, the more the Klipa of Egypt came and weakened them.

It was so much so that each time they overcame the argument of the Egyptians that came into their minds, so they would see that it was not the argument of Egypt, but that the people of Israel would think that these thoughts are Israel’s themselves. This is called “Anyone who is greater than his friend, his desire is greater than him.”

It means that to the extent of their strengthening in Kedusha, to that extent the Klipot strengthened against them. To the extent of the power of the desire to escape, to that extent the other side must show more power so as to keep him in his domain, so they will not escape.

It turns out that in fact, the people of Israel drew closer to Kedusha each day, and the evidence of this is that if it is said that they were in 49 gates of Tuma’a, it is because that they have already ascended through 49 gates of Kedusha, hence there had to be the opposite of Kedusha, the 49 gates of Tuma’a.

However, before a person completes the work and comes out of the domain of the Klipot[shells/peels], he does not see the measure of his entrance into Kedusha. All he sees is that each time he is farther away because the opposite of Kedusha reveals the evil in him, and before there is light of Kedusha, a person cannot see the real form of evil in him. As said above, precisely where there is light we can see the dirt that is in the house.

It follows that one cannot know what he can regard as a good state. That is, it might be that a person feels that he is in descent, meaning that he sees that he has no desire for Torah and Mitzvot. He sees that now he has more passion for self-love than, for example, yesterday. Thus, a person should probably say that yesterday he was in a state where he regarded people who were concerned with corporeal means, with satisfying their will to receive, he stayed away from them and could not see intelligent grownups degrading themselves into being in such a lowly state.

But now he sees that he is one of them and he has no shame in feeling his lowliness. Rather, it is an ordinary thing for him, as tough he never thought about spirituality. To understand it better, let us take for example, when a person must get up before dawn. When he is awakened by the alarm clock or by a person, he feels that he must rise to serve the Creator. He begins to feel the importance of the matter, and therefore rises quickly because the sensation of the importance of serving the Creator gives him strength to get up quickly.

Undoubtedly, at that time he is in a state of ascent. That is, it is not corporeality that gives him strength to work, but to him the spirituality, his feeling that now he will have contact with the Creator, in whatever manner, is enough to give him strength to work, and he does not think of anything but the Creator. He feels that now he is regarded as alive, but without spirituality he is regarded as dead. Naturally, he feels that he is in a state of ascent.

In truth, a person cannot determine his state, that he feels he is remote. That is, if he is a person who wishes to walk on the path of bestowal, he must understand that from above he is given a special treatment, that he was lowered from the previous state so he would begin to really contemplate the goal, meaning what is required of man and what man wants the Creator to give him. But when he is in a state of ascent, when he has desire for Torah and Mitzvot, he has no need to worry about spirituality. Instead, he sees that he will stay this way his whole life because he is happy this way.

It therefore follows that the descent he has received is for his own good, meaning that he is receiving special treatment, that he was lowered from his state where he thought that he had some wholeness. This is apparent in his agreeing to remain in the current state his whole life.

But now that he sees that he is far from spirituality, he begins to think, “What is really required of me? What should I do? What is the purpose I should achieve?” He sees that he has no power to work, and he finds himself in a state of “between heaven and earth.” Then, man’s only strengthening is that only the Creator can help, but by himself, he is doomed.

It was said about this (Isaiah, 4:31): “Yet those who hope for the Lord will gain new strength,” meaning those people who hope for the Creator. This means that they see that there is no one else in the world who can help them regain strength each time. It follows that this descent is actually an ascent, meaning that this descent that they feel allows them to rise in degree, since “there is no light without a Kli.”

It follows that when he thought that he was in a state of ascent, he had no desire in which the Creator to place anything, since his Kli was full and there was no room there to put anything inside. But now that he is feeling in a state of descent, he begins to see his deficiencies and the main reasons that interrupt his achieving Dvekut with the Creator. At that time he knows what help to ask of the Creator because he sees the truth, the real obstructer.

According to the above, it follows that one cannot say that the Creator has driven him away from the work of the Creator, and the proof of this is that he is in a state of descent, meaning that the Creator has thrown him out from the work and does not him to work for Him. This is not so. On the contrary, because the Creator wants to bring him closer, when he felt that he was in ascent, He could not bring him closer because he had no Kelim.

In order to give him Kelim, the Creator had to bring him out of his state, and admit him into a state where he feels deficient. Then the Creator can give him help from above, as our sages said, “He who comes to purify is aided. The holy Zohar asks, ‘With what?’ And he replies, ‘With a holy soul.’” That is, he is being made to feel that the soul is a part of God above, and then he enters the Kedusha. At that time he can go from degree to degree until he completes his soul with respect to what she needs to correct.

It therefore follows that in the first kind. the reason and the cause for observing Torah and Mitzvot is people from the outside. In the second kind, the Creator along with people from the outside commit him to Torah and Mitzvot. In the third kind, only the Creator commits to observing Torah and Mitzvot. People on the outside do not commit him, but he himself also causes Torah and Mitzvot. In the fourth kind, only the Creator is the cause for observing Torah and Mitzvot, and there is no other partner who partakes in committing him to Torah and Mitzvot. this is called “for the Lord alone,” and this is called “mixed-multitude inside the Kedusha.”

Inapoi la pagina 1986 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Inapoi la pagina 1986 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

A Congregation Is No Less than Ten

Article No. 28, Tav-Shin-Mem-Vav, 1985-86

It is written in The Zohar, Nasso (item 105), “Rabbi Elazar started, ‘Why have I come and there is no man?’ How beloved are Israel by the Creator, for wherever they are, the Creator is among them.” ‘And let them make Me a Temple and I will dwell among them,’ for every synagogue in the world is called a ‘Temple.’ ‘And I will dwell among them,’ since the Shechina [Divinity] comes to the synagogue first. Happy is he who is among those first ones in the synagogue, since by them what is completed is completed, meaning the congregation, which is no less than ten. Also, the ten must be in the synagogue at once, and not come one at a time, since all ten are as organs of one body, in which the Shechina resides, for the Creator has made man at once, and established all his organs together, as it is written, ‘He has made you and established you.’”

We should discern in the above words:

1. Why does he say, “Wherever Israel are, the Creator is among them”? This implies that there is no need for a special place. And afterwards he says, “And let them make Me a Temple and I will dwell among them,” meaning specifically in the synagogue.
2. The words, “And let them make Me a Temple and I will dwell among them,” imply that first there must be some preparation, meaning “making the Temple,” and then “and I will dwell,” and not just like that.
3. What is the question that he asks, “Why have I come and there is no man?” If you say that the Shechina comes to the synagogue first, of course there is still no one there.
4. It is difficult to understand what he says, “The ten must be in the synagogue at once, and not come one at a time.” Can it be said that all those who come to the synagogue should wait outside until ten men have gathered, and then they will all enter at once? We have never seen such a thing. So what does it mean that they must not come one at a time?

To understand the above we will explain in the work how to begin the order of the work in a manner of bestowal, called “not in order to receive reward.” First, we must remember two things, which are giver and receiver. This extends from His desire to do good to His creations, which is why He has created creatures—to receive the delight and pleasure that He wants to bestow upon them. This receiver, namely the Kli [vessel] that the Creator created so as to receive in it the delight and pleasure, is called “desire to receive delight and pleasure.” He can enjoy this to the extent of the craving for it. That is, the Kli in which we receive pleasure is called “craving.”

We attribute these Kelim [vessels] to the Creator. That is, the Kli that initially received from the Creator is called Malchut, or Behina Dalet [Fourth Phase (discernment)], which means that it is a craving to receive delight and pleasure. This is called a Kli of Ohr Yashar [Direct Light]. This is the Kli that was used prior to the Tzimtzum [restriction], and it is called Malchut de Ein Sof [infinity/no end].

Afterwards there was a correction to prevent the bread of shame, since there is a rule in the nature that the Creator has created, that the branch wants to resemble its root. Why is there such a nature? We are forbidden to ask because with respect to the Creator, the holy Zohar says, “There are no thought or perception in Him at all.” This means that the lower ones cannot attain the thoughts of the Creator.

Everything we say is only in the form of “By Your actions we know You,” meaning we speak only through the actions that appear to our eyes, from what we see and can explain, but not before the act that appears before us. For this reason we begin to speak of the first connection between the Creator and the creatures, called “His desire to do good to His creations.” Prior to this we cannot speak because we have no attainment of Him. Hence, we only see that in nature, the branch wants to resemble its root.

To correct this, meaning that the receiver wants equivalence of form with the root, and if it were to receive it would feel unpleasantness, the Tzimtzum occurred, called “not wanting to receive in order to receive,” but to receive only if he can receive it in order to bestow. This caused us not to be able to receive abundance with the Kli called “desire to receive,” but rather with a new Kli, called “Ohr Hozer [Reflected Light]. It means that the Ohr Yashar is regarded as the abundance that the Creator gives to the lower ones, and Ohr Hozer is the opposite—that which the lower ones wish to give the Creator.

For this reason, Ohr Yashar is called “from above downward,” meaning that the upper one, the giver, namely the Creator, gives to the lower ones. Conversely, the Ohr Hozer is called “from below upward,” meaning the lower one, who is the receiver, a desire to bestow upon the Creator. We attribute this Kli, called “in order to bestow,” to the lower one because the lower one did it in order to correct itself, since it wants to resemble its root. It is as we learn, that in the world of Ein Sof, the Kliof Malchut received the light in the Kli of Ohr Yashar, meaning in a Kli that came from the upper one. But the Kli of Ohr Hozer is a Kli that the lower one should make.

After the correction that they will receive only in Kelim of Ohr Hozer was made, all the worlds and many degrees extended from it. Because this Kli extends from the lower one, it cannot be completed at once, but bit by bit, according to the strength of the lower ones. Therefore, since many Kelim were made, the lights also divide into many degrees. This was not so when what we attribute to the Creator, called “receiving in order to receive,” illuminated in the Kli. The Creator created that Kli at once, in full, so naturally, it was one simple light, without distinction of degrees.

It is as he writes in the book, Tree of Life (presented in The Study of the Ten Sefirot, p 1): “Know that before the emanations were emanated and the creatures created, the upper, simple light had filled the whole of reality. However, everything was one, simple light, completely equal, and it is called ‘the light of Ein Sof.’” The reason is that since we attribute this Kli to the Creator, it is completed in whole, hence they received one light, without distinction of degrees.

But the Kli that we attribute to the lower one cannot be completed at once. Rather, all the work we must exert in is only one—to make a Kli called Ohr Hozer. This means that the lower one wants to receive delight and pleasure from the Creator only because he wants to bestow upon the Creator, and this is called Ohr Hozer [Reflected Light]. When the lower one realizes that he has no desire to receive for himself, but that he wants to delight the Creator, he calculates what he can give to the Creator which the Creator will enjoy.

At that time he sees that he can give only one thing that will delight the Creator. Since the purpose of creation is to do good to His creations, and the Creator wants to give delight and pleasure to the creatures, he says, “I want to receive delight and pleasure because I want to please the Creator. And the more abundance he can receive—meaning that he feels the greatest pleasure from the abundance that he receives—the Creator will certainly enjoy this more.

This is similar to a person who invited over an important person. The man and his household toiled all day and all night so that the guest would enjoy the food. when the guest ate the meal, which cost him great efforts and for which he did everything to delight the guest, at the end of the meal he asked the guest, “What do you say about our meal? Did you ever taste a meal like this?”

He replied to him: “To tell you the truth, I don’t care what I eat. I never regarded the pleasure I can derive from food, so I wouldn’t mind if you prepared a simpler meal, since I hear from you that you made great efforts for it.” When the landlord hears this, what pleasure does he have from having given him a big meal?

The lesson is that if a person receives delight and pleasure from the Creator because he wants to delight the Creator by helping Him carry out the purpose of creation—that the Creator wants to delight His creatures—but he says that he derives no joy from the delight and pleasure he has received from the Creator, then what contentment is he bringing to the Creator by saying that he doesn’t feel any taste in His delight and pleasure, and that for him it is all the same?

It therefore follows that if one can try to enhance each time what he has received from the Creator and appreciate the King’s gift, there is a reason for it, that he can say to the Creator, “I am receiving great pleasure from You because I know that only with this I can delight You. This is why I want to receive plentiful pleasures.”

However, we must remember that after the sin of the tree of knowledge that Adam HaRishon sinned, man became as dust, receiving in order to receive. This extends from the worlds ABYA de Tuma’a[impurity], as it is written in the “Introduction to the Book of Zohar” (item 25), “It is incumbent upon man to receive strength from above by the merit of Torah and Mitzvot [commandments], so he can bestow, and this is called ‘Israel,’ meaning Yashar-El [straight to the Creator]. This means that all his thoughts and desires are only to bring contentment to the Creator. But if he still does not have this desire, it is considered that the person is in exile among the nations of the world, who enslave him to work only for self-love, which is ‘receiving in order to receive.’ This pertains to the Klipot [shells/peels], and not to Kedusha [holiness], as it is written, ‘You will be holy for I am holy.’ This means that as the Creator is only about bestowal, your intention will also be only to bestow.”

But the opposite of that, meaning when his intention is not to bestow, it is regarded as the opposite of Israel. Rather, it is called “straight to the nations of the world,” since they are opposite in form from the Creator, whose desire is only to bestow. But in this place there is Yashar-El — that he is in equivalence of form with the Creator. That is, there is no other authority there, and in that place comes the instilling of the Shechina, as it is written, “Wherever I mention My name, I will come to you and bless you.” This means that the Creator says, “If I can say that only My name is in this place, and the creature’s authority is not in upon it, since the lower one wants only to bestow upon the Creator, then “I will come to you and bless you,” meaning that on this place I instill My Shechina.

By this we will understand what we asked about the holy Zohar’s saying that wherever they are, the Creator is among them, which implies that there is no need for a special place. Afterwards it says as it is written, “And let them make Me a Temple and I will dwell among them,” meaning precisely in a Temple, and not anywhere.

We should interpret his saying “wherever they are” to mean wherever “they,” meaning Yashar-El, are, where the meaning of Yashar-El is straight to the Creator, who are in equivalence of form with the Creator. That is, as the Creator gives mercy, they, too, want only to bestow upon the Creator. And since there is equivalence of form, to that extent the Tzimtzum is removed. Hence in this place there is the Shechina.

This is called, “And let them make Me a Temple,” as it is written, “You will be holy for I the Lord am holy.” It is a lot of work and preparation to make the place that is the desire, as Baal HaSulam said, a “place,” in spirituality, is called “desire,” meaning a desire of Kedusha, which is in order to bestow contentment upon the Creator. This is called “Israel,” Yashar-El.

Now we will explain the second question, what is the question that he asks, “Why have I come and there is no man?” Certainly, if he says that the Shechina comes to the synagogue first, of course there is still no one there, so why does he say, “Why have I come and there is no man”?

However, first we need to understand what “man” means. We should interpret “man” to mean as it is written, “Happy is the man who did not walk in the counsel of the wicked.” That is, there is “man” and there is “beast.” “Beast” means one who is immersed in self-love and does what beasts do. It follows that the meaning of “Why have I come” means that I have come before you. However, that, too, needs explanation: How can we say that the Creator came to the synagogue first, if “The whole earth is full of His glory?” Thus, what does it mean that the Creator comes to the synagogue before the people who are praying?

We should interpret that it is as Baal HaSulam interpreted the verse, “Before they call, I will answer.” It means that when a person goes to pray, it happens because I have given him a thought and desire to come to the synagogue to be a man. In the end, I find him in the synagogue praying for self-love, like a beast. It follows that when he says, “Why have I come,” it means “Why have I given him a desire to go to the synagogue, so he will pray for matters of Kedusha, which is a Temple, and to be Israel, and in the end “there is no man.” Instead, I see that everyone is praying for beastly needs.

Now we will explain what we asked about his saying that there must be ten in the synagogue at once, and not come one at a time. We asked, “Should they all wait outside until ten men have gathered, and then they will all enter together? We have never seen such a thing?” He bring evidence from the Creator, “For man, the Creator has made him at once.” But we should also understand the evidence itself.

To interpret this we must first understand why we need specifically ten men present in the synagogue, or it means that the Shechina cannot be there. He gives a reason, that “a congregation is no less than ten.” We should also understand this—why specifically ten and not more or less. That is, if there are nine men there, it is not regarded as a congregation, and if there are eleven men, it does not add anything, as it is said about testimony: “2 as one hundred and one hundred as two (Shavuot, p 42). Rather, it is specifically ten, as our sages said (Sanhedrin, 39), “In every ten there is Shechina.”

It is known that Malchut is called “tenth.” It is also known that the receiving Kli is also called “the SefiraMalchut,” who is the tenth Sefira, receiving the upper abundance. She is called “will to receive,” and all the creatures extend only from her. For this reason, a congregation is no less than ten, since all the corporeal branches extend from the upper roots. Therefore, according to the rule, “There is no light that does not have ten Sefirot,” in corporeality, something is not regarded as important unless there are ten men there, such as the upper degrees.

Now we can understand the meaning of ten, when the Creator asks, “Why have I come and there is no man?” It pertains to “man” and not to “beast,” referring to the kingdom of heaven, which is the tenth Sefira, meaning we must pray for the exile of the Shechina, which the holy Zohar calls, “Shechina in the dust.” Thus, the meaning will be that if the Creator does not find ten there, it means that “I have come first and have given you a desire and awakening to come to the synagogue, to ask for prayer for the exile of the Shechina, who is called “ten,” which is the tenth Sefira, and I did not find anyone to pray for the tenth. Instead, I find everyone praying for things that pertain to beasts and not to people.”

Similarly, we should interpret what he says, “They must all be at once, and not one at a time.” We should interpret that we need the reception of the kingdom of heaven to be at once, and not that he will say, “Today I want to take upon myself a little bit of the burden of the kingdom of heaven, meaning only when I am at the synagogue. Afterwards, when I go home, I want to enjoy self-love.”

That is, he says that he agrees to work in order to bestow some of the time, but not to give all of his time only for the glory of heaven. Rather, when one takes upon oneself the burden of the kingdom of heaven he must ask the Creator to make it forever, and not only when he is at the synagogue. We can interpret that having to have ten present at the synagogue at once and not come one at a time means that he should not say, “Now I am assuming a little bit of the kingdom of heaven, and later some more.” Rather, each acceptance of the burden of the kingdom of heaven should be at once, meaning at once, over his entire life, and not today some and tomorrow some more.

Therefore, if assuming the burden of the kingdom of heaven is over a complete thing, then although he later descends from his degree, since his acceptance was complete, called “ten at once,” where “at once” means over his entire life, many pennies join into a great amount, until he is rewarded with faith that is the permanent kingdom of heaven.

This was not so while assuming the kingdom of heaven was only partial, meaning that he received the kingdom of heaven only for the time being and not permanently. It follows that it is incomplete, so how can he join them into the great amount until he is rewarded with permanent faith? Therefore, when one takes upon oneself the burden of the kingdom of heaven, he should see that it is a complete thing. This is why he says that they should be in the synagogue at once, meaning once and for all. That is, he wants the reception of the kingdom of heaven to be forever.

Inapoi la pagina 1986 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Inapoi la pagina 1986 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

The Creator and Israel Went into Exile

Article No. 27, Tav-Shin-Mem-Vav, 1985-86

It is written in The Zohar, BeHukotai [In My Statutes] (item 49), about the verse, “And I, too, will torment you seven tiems for your sins”: “Come and see, the Creator’s sublime love for Israel is like a king who had an only son who sinned before the king. One day, he sinned before the king. The king said, ‘All those days I have been striking you but you did not receive. Henceforth, see what I will do to you. If I expel you from the land, bears might charge you in the field, or wild wolves or murderers could obliterate you from the world. What should I do? Instead, you and I will go out of the land.’ Thus, I, too, for what is written means that you and I will leave the land, meaning go into exile, ‘And I will chastise you,’ to go into exile. And if you say that I will leave you, I, too, am with you.”

We should understand the meaning of the exit of the people of Israel from the land abroad, which is called “exile among the nations.” What does it mean in the work? That is, what is “land” and what is “exit from the land”? Also, what does it mean when sinners punish a person and give him exile among the nations of the world? How does it help, and what benefit does it yield in the ways of the work? That is, what is the correction in going out to exile to be under the rule of the nations of the world?

We should also understand how it can be said that the Creator, too, leaves the land with the people of Israel into exile, since “the whole earth is full of His glory,” and it is written, “His kingship rules over everything.” He even sustains the Klipot [shells/peels], so how can it be said that He will go out to exile with the people of Israel as though He is not in the land?

To understand the above in the work we first need to know what is the land of Israel and what is abroad, and why exiting from the land abroad is regarded as exile among the nations. We should understand that exile is a correction for sins. That is, by suffering the exile, the torments of the exile will make them repent, and then it will be possible to bring them back to the land. But it is written, “And they mingled with the nations and learned their works,” so what torments of exile are they feeling, which can be a cause for them to repent and return to the land? That is, what can he know about what is good in the land of Israel so as to crave it, and this land will be a reason that will compel him to repent for the love of the land?

It is known that land is called Malchut and the “holy Shechina [Divinity]. It is also called “the assembly of Israel,” which is the inclusion of all the souls. This means that she must receive the delight and pleasure that was in the thought of creation to do good to His creations, meaning that the souls will receive delight and pleasure.

The order of cascading was from the world of Ein Sof [no end/infinity] to the world of Tzimtzum[restriction], and then to the line on which the five Partzufim [pl. of Partzuf] of AK are clothed, then the five Partzufim of Atzilut. Afterwards, Malchut de Atzilut emanated the three worlds BYA, and then Adam HaRishon was created, and the externality of his body, which is similar to the current material body, was made from Bina de Malchut de Assiya, as it is written in The Study of the Ten Sefirot (Part 16, p 1912, item 43), “Afterwards he had NRN from BYA and then NRN from Atzilut.

It therefore follows that the land is called Malchut de [of] Atzilut, and it is written about the world of Atzilut, “Evil will not dwell with you,” meaning that there is no evil there at all, but only in BYA are there scrutinies of good and evil. Rather, there the delight and pleasure that He contemplated giving to the souls is revealed. It is as our sages said about the verse, “‘In the beginning God created’: there is no beginning but Israel, for everything is for Israel, meaning for the souls of Israel.”

After Adam HaRishon sinned with the tree of knowledge he was expelled from Atzilut and descended into BYA. Then he began to repent and correct what he had sinned. By this he reentered the Garden of Eden, meaning Atzilut. The correction was that he was expelled from the Garden of Eden, as it is written (Genesis, 3:22), “And the Lord said, ‘And now, he might stretch out his hand and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever.’ And the Lord God sent him out from the Garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken.”

Baal HaSulam explained the fear for which he was expelled from the Garden of Eden, for it is written, “He might stretch out his hand and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever.” He said that since the man sinned with the tree of knowledge, if a person is punished, meaning suffers from the punishment that he was given, this suffering causes him to repent and correct the flaw that he had caused.

But if he is not punished and does not feel suffering from the sin he had committed, he will certainly not understand that he should repent for it. It is as The Zohar writes (“Introduction of the Book of Zohar,” item 192), “Rabbi Shimon wept and said, ‘Woe if I say, woe if I do not say. If I say, the wicked will know how to serve their master.’”

He interprets in the Sulam [commentary on The Zohar] as follows, “By this he implies that he could not reveal his words in full in this place so as not to harm the wicked. This is because here he came to disclose how to cling to the tree of life, and never touch the tree of death, and only those who have already corrected the discernment of the tree of knowledge of good and evil are worthy of it. But the wicked, who have yet to correct the sin of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, must not know it, for they first need to toil in all the labors until they correct the sin of the tree of knowledge. You will also find this in the verse, ‘Lest he reached out his hand and took also from the tree of life and ate, and lived forever’ Genesis, 3). After Adam sinned with the tree of knowledge, he was expelled from the Garden of Eden for fear that he would cling to the tree of life and live forever, and the flaw he had caused in the tree of knowledge would forever remain uncorrected.”

It therefore follows that when taking a person out from the land, meaning from the kingdom of heaven he had, since he cannot feel the importance of spirituality that he had prior to being taken out from the kingdom of heaven, and he goes to exile, as it is written “And they mingled with the nations and learned their works,” this is regarded as falling under the enslavement of idol worshippers. That is, all the lusts that exist in the nations of the world also govern Israel who have been exiled. At that time they have no connection to spirituality, except what they are used to keep by habit, this is what they observe, but beyond them, it does not occur to them that they have anything to correct.

It follows that we should make two discernments concerning the exile: 1) They are exiled under the governance of the nations. The mind and intellect that they had while in the land, when they were in the kingdom of heaven and thought all day about how to exit self-love and achieve the love of the Creator, when they sinned and went to exile, we can interpret this in the work of the individual, as it is known that the general and the particular are the same. This means that if a person sins while being in the land, meaning if he receives some illumination from above and uses it for his own benefit, meaning says, “Now that I have some flavor in Torah and Mitzvot [commandments], I don’t need faith above reason,” this is called a “sin” because he has blemished the faith above reason.

For this reason, he is expelled from the land and falls under the governance of the lusts of the nations of the world. Once he is in exile, he promptly suffers over forgetfulness, and does not remember that he was ever in the land, that he was in a state of “kingdom of heaven” and thought only about how to  achieve Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator. He wants to continue this way his whole life, meaning to care only about satisfying the needs that the body demands for its own benefit, and does not care about anything.

After some time, and each one has a different calculation with Him (meaning that when a person is judged above, each one has his own calculation as to how long he should be kept in exile until he receives an awakening from above), and he receives an awakening from above and begins to feel that he is in exile, and begins to remind himself that he has fallen from a high roof to a deep pit.

That is, when he was in the land, he remembers that he looked at the whole world as redundant and always thought, “Why did the Creator create the wicked in the world? What joy or benefit can these wicked bring to the Creator?” Instead, now he looks at himself, that he is in exile, and what can he give to the Creator so as to bring contentment above? He begins to feel the suffering that he has descended from man to beast, meaning sees that now he desires beastly lusts, which he did not have prior to being expelled from the land.

Now he begins to crave the Creator, that He will bring him closer and admit him once again into the land, and out of beastly lusts, and give him pleasures from nourishments fit for man, meaning from acts of bestowal, and not that his nourishment will be of food for beast. It is as our sages said (Peshachim, 118), “When the Creator told Adam HaRishon, ‘Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you,’ his eyes teared. He said, ‘Will I and my ass eat off the same crib?’ Once He had told him, ‘By the sweat of your brow you will eat bread,’ his mind was immediately eased.”

This sounds as though the Creator gave him the knowledge when He said, “Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you.” Before the Creator had told him that, he did not see that his nourishment was only thorns and thistles, which is only animal food. We can interpret that the awakening from above came to him and reminded him what he had had before the sin, what high degrees he had had, and with the exit from the Garden of Eden it is as though he has forgotten everything.

This is regarded as the Creator speaking to him, meaning that he received an awakening from above from the Creator, and then he remembered what he had had. At that time he began to feel the suffering from being expelled from the Garden of Eden, and began to cry about being on the same degree of a beast. That is, his nourishment is only that which pertains to self-love, which is called “food for beast.” This is the meaning of “His eyes teared and he said, “Will I and my ass eat off the same crib?” That is, eating, which nourishes him, will be similar to that of a beast, and he will not be able to elicit joy out of it, except for mattes that pertain to self-love.

However, when he was told, “By the sweat of your brow you will eat bread,’ his mind was immediately eased.” RASHI interprets “By the sweat of your brow” to mean after you have had much trouble in it. We should interpret the meaning of “trouble.” According to what we learn, if one has already come to feel that he is at a degree that is similar to a beast, it means that the sensation should also be to the extent that brings to suffering, that he will shed tears over his lowly and poor state, as our sages said, “His eyes teared.”

Therefore, the suffering he feels at being similar to a beast gives him the strength to want to make great efforts to exit self-love, which is regarded as a best, and be rewarded with man’s food. That is, that now he can enjoy acts of bestowal.

It therefore follows that we should make two discernments regarding the above exile:

1) He is in exile but does not know he is in exile. Rather he is happy as he is. Instead, he is searching for quantity—more money, more respect, etc. However, he has already forgotten that he was once at a human degree, called “land,” which is the kingdom of heaven. It does not even occur to him that he should change his sustenance. Rather, he does not think that the nourishments he receives in vessels of self-love, called “animal food,” need replacing, meaning to have thoughts of giving.

It follows that he does not want to change the source of provision, where he is being fed with only that which comes into vessels of self-love. Rather, he wants to replace the matters that come in vessels of self-love. For example, he would like to change his apartment because he no longer enjoys the flat he lives in and wants a different apartment, since a new apartment is something he can enjoy. Also, changes the furniture because he cannot enjoy the ones he has. By having new furniture, his will to receive will have something to enjoy.

2) However, he does not want to change his source of provision, meaning to say that his provision should come from a source that gives only to the vessels of bestowal. This he God forbids does not contemplate, as it is known that the receivers cannot understand how can there be provision from him giving. The giver is to the contrary. When he sees that he is engaging in reception he is ashamed of himself for doing something he regards as lowly. But in truth, we must change the source of nourishment, since there is nourishment that pours into vessels of self-love, and this nourishment comes from the Klipot. However, there is nourishment that comes into the vessels of bestowal, and this one comes from the worlds of Kedusha [holiness].

Therefore, according to the two above discernments in exile, the question is, “Who causes one to feel that he is in exile, by feeling suffering because he wants to exit the exile, as was said about the exile in Egypt, ‘And the children of Israel sighed from the work, and they cried out, and their cry rose up to God from the work’”? We have to say that this awakening came from the Creator, meaning so they will not stay in exile, meaning from a state of oblivion, the Creator sends the awakening.

It therefore follows that they feel that there is spirituality, but that the spirituality is in a state of lowliness and their heart aches over the fact that the Shechina is in exile, and why spirituality has the taste of dust. That is, when they want to work in order to bestow, they cannot appreciate this work as they should feel that now he is doing the holy work, and not the work of people who are similar to beasts.

But the matter is to the contrary, that when he works to man’s benefit, he feels good taste in the work. But when he does the work of the Creator, he does not feel any taste. That is, the same act that he does, if he sees that his will to receive has something to receive, that the reward illuminates for him during the work, and this is why he feels good taste, if he replaces the intention during the work and says that he is doing this work not in order to receive reward, he promptly feels his weakness, that he cannot make an effort, and the work begins to slow down right away.

According to the above, it follows that the Creator seemingly comes to him and tells him, “Look at the lowly state you are in. You are just like a beast.” Then he begins to suffer that he does not have any feelings of human beings. It pains him and he feels the suffering and pain of being in exile under the rule of the nations of the world. That is, now he feels that he has evil lusts, suitable for the seventy nations.

But before this revelation came to him, so as to feel his lowliness, he lived in a world that was all God, meaning that it did not cause him any deficiency that he was in a state of lowliness. He did not feel that it was lowliness, but rather that he was behaving like everyone else, whose only aspirations are lust, respect, and money. But now that the revelation has come to him from the Creator, that he will see that he is like a beast and not like a man, he suffers, since he would be happy if he could come out of the exile.

But since he is in exile, he sees that that he does not see a way out of the exile. It follows that these torments are causing him instability. That is, he does not know what to do. On the one hand, now he sees that he is feeling the truth, meaning the kind of people to whom he belongs, since there are people who belong to beastliness, and there are people who belong to people. And if we want to be more precise, we should discern three kinds: 1) people who have nothing to do with Judaism, 2) people who engage in Torah and Mitzvot, but in order to receive reward, 3) people who work not in order to receive reward.

It follows that on the one hand, now he can be very happy that he sees the truth, meaning which type of people he is with, and which degree he should strive to achieve. But at the same time he is feeling pain and suffering at seeing how far he is from Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator. That is, he sees that he cannot do anything for the Creator, and that all that he does is because he wants to receive reward for his actions, but with respect to the desire to bestow, he does not see that he will be able to come out of them by himself.

It follows that he is craving for the state when he belonged to the second type, when he had strength to work because the reward illuminated for him, and in his mind he was in a state that is close to the Creator. He would always speak to the Creator and ask Him for reward for his work, and he felt complete and that he did not need a thing because he was certain of the reward, meaning that he was keeping the commandments of the Creator. And the Creator certainly sees that not many people desire to keep His commandments, but he is exerting to keep His commandments, so the Creator will certainly favor him and give him a great reward for it.

Naturally, after such a calculation, a person feels that he is high in the sky among the clouds, and that they are looking at the whole world, for undoubtedly, the world exists through their Torah, as our sages said, “The world cannot stand without Torah” (Tavo). It follows that then he was truly among the happiest people in the world.

But now that he has emerged from the second state, the Creator has illuminated the truth for him, that the work of the Creator is primarily to bestow contentment upon the Creator and not for one’s own benefit, and he sees how far he is from the truth, and feels the opposite. That is, where he thought that if instead of Lo Lishma [not for Her sake] I had Lishma [for Her sake], it would feel good, that I am fine with the Creator, meaning that I am trying to obey Him as much as possible, and I am regarded as a “servant of the Creator.” And certainly, all the reward that the Creator has promised us is ready for me, so what else do I need?

It is even more so when I begin to advance in order to bestow. I will promptly be elevated. However, this is not so. Rather, now that he has comes to feel the truth, that the main thing is to work for the benefit of the Creator, and he should certainly be happy that, thank God, he has gotten on the real track that leads to nearness to the Creator, so I should have been constantly elated and say, “Thank God, I see that the Creator has had mercy me and did not let me labor in vain. Rather, all my labor will now be in order to achieve the goal, called “Dvekut with the Creator.”

However, he feels that his state is the opposite, meaning that he does not have the same joy he had while working in order to receive reward. It is so because he sees that now he has no support from this body, since now he is telling his body, “Know that from this day forth I will not give you any profits in the work, for now I am not working for my own benefit. Rather, I want to work only to benefit the Creator. Then the body does not agree to give strength to work. It follows that now he is in a state of lowliness.

However, before the revelation of the truth has come to him, he was always elated, seeing how each day he was adding in deeds and the reward was guaranteed. But now is the real time, when he can give and honest prayer to the Creator to take him out of exile, since before he has received the revelation from above—that he is in exile, controlled by the nations of the world, called “will to receive in order to receive. Thus, he had no deficiency that the Creator could fill, meaning to lead him out of exile. It therefore follows that the Creator has given him the Kli [vessel], meaning the deficiency, and then He has given him the light, and both the light and the Kli come from above.

By this we can interpret what we asked about what the holy Zohar says to Israel when they have sinned, the Creator said, “And I will chastise you, to go into exile. And if you say that I will leave you, I, too, am with you.” We asked how it was possible that the Creator come out from the land abroad, to exile, since “the whole earth is full of His glory,” and how can it be said that He is going out? We also asked what the punishment of going to exile adds to us, meaning that certainly, everything the Creator does, He does only for man’s favor, so what does man gain by going to exile under the rule of the nations of the world?

According to what we explained above, it follows that saying “The whole earth is full of His glory” comes to teach us that from the perspective of the Creator there are no changes in the world. Rather, it is as it is written, “You are before the world was created, and You are after the world was created.” Thus, all the changes are from the perspective of the qualification of the receivers. That is, to the extent that they can attribute their work only to bestow upon the Creator, to that extent the Tzimtzum [restriction] is removed, and the light that is hidden for the lower ones is revealed, and by this the lower ones receive the delight and pleasure.

This is regarded as the people of Israel being in the land, meaning feeling that the Creator is the land of Israel. That is, since the people of Israel is in the land of Israel, the Creator is named after the action of providing Himself to the creatures so they will recognize and know Him when they are fit for it. If they sin and may blemish, meaning receive upper abundance to the upper one and pass it on to the Klipot, which are self-love, then He must be “taken out” from the land of Israel, meaning that the Tzimtzum rises once more and the light departs.

This is regarded as having left the land, which is the place of the kingdom of heaven, called Shechina, and went out to exile under the rule of the nations of the world.

The correction of going out to exile is

1. that first, they will not spoil the abundance.
2. that by being in exile, the Creator does not leave them in exile, as we explained above that sometimes a person is in exile but does not know that it is exile, that one must run from that place, meaning from the state he is in and receives nourishment from that place called “self-love.” Rather, it is to the contrary, that he suffers only because he cannot satisfy what the nations of the world require of him, since they control him, meaning he cannot satisfy all the pleasures that pertain to self-love.

This is why the holy Zohar says, “If I expel you from the land, bears might charge you in the field, or wild wolves or murderers could obliterate you from the world.” That is, they will remove you completely from the spiritual world and will remain only in the corporeal world, called “self-love.”

Therefore, in order not to be lost in the exile, the Creator, too, goes out to exile with them. That is, He appears to them in an exile form. That is, the Creator is called “His name,” after the work that He does. Since now He gives them exile, meaning that they feel they are in exile, this is regarded as the Creator having gone out to exile with them. He gives them the sensation of exile so they will not be lost in the exile altogether in that they do not feel that they have been expelled from the land and that now they are under the rule of the nations of the world.

Now we will understand what we asked, “What is the correction of being expelled from the land?” 1) That they will not spoil what they have attained. This is regarded as knowing his Master and intending to rebel. It means that he knows his Master but cannot be in a state of only to bestow. 2) By being in exile they will feel the need to be only in a state of bestowal, by which they will be rewarded with Dvekut with the Creator. Thus, the suffering of exile will reform them. And we should interpret what we asked, “What does it mean that the Creator went out to exile?” that since the Creator is giving them the taste of exile, it is considered that the Creator has come out from the good and pleasant land,” giving them, which is to their benefit.

Inapoi la pagina 1986 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Inapoi la pagina 1986 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

A Near Way and a Far Way

Article No. 26, Tav-Shin-Mem-Vav, 1985-86

In the portion, Beshalach [When Pharaoh Sent], we find that the text tells us, “God did not lead them through the land of the Philistines, for it was near; lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.” This means that a near way is not good. Regarding the second Passover, we see (Numbers, 9:10), “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘Should any man be impure for the soul, or on a far way for you, he should make a Passover for the Lord on the second month.” This means that if he is on a far way, he cannot do the Passover in its time.

We see that the portion, Beshalach, tells us that the near way is not good, as it is written there that He did not lead them for it was near, but that the far way is better. In the portion, Behaalotcha [When You Raise (the candles)], it is written that one who is on a far way is put off for a second Passover. This implies that the far way is worse than the near way.

First we must know that the ways to which the Torah relates surely imply a far way and a near way with respect to achieving the completion of the goal. Thus, it is difficult to understand how it can be said that the near way is not good. That is, the reason that the Torah gives us for this is that they will see war and return to Egypt. But near means close to the Creator. If he is close to the Creator, how can it be said that they will regret and return to Egypt? We understand the opposite—if the people had regretted on a way that is far from the Creator, it could be said, “lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.”

In the portion, Re’eh [See] (Deuteronomy, 14:24), the writing says, “If the distance is so great for you that you cannot carry it, since the place where the Lord your God chooses to set His name is too far from you.” Baal HaSulam gave an explanation about this and asked, “What is the reason that the text gives us the reason for ‘If the distance is so great for you that you cannot carry it’”? He said that since man must assume the burden of the kingdom of heaven and must be as an “ox to the burden and as a donkey to the load,” and man cannot carry it, meaning that it is hard for him to bear the load, which is the meaning of, “cannot carry it,” for this reason the road will be far for you.

This is not so if one did take upon oneself the burden of the kingdom of heaven. He would see that everything is near him. That is, a person sees that “the place where the Lord your God chooses to set His name,” meaning the place where God has chosen to set His name, is far from him. This is as it is written, “And let them make Me a Temple and I will dwell within them.” That place is far from the person, meaning from being able to make in his heart room for instilling the Shechina [Divinity]. He is far from understanding such a thing—that one will have the strength to make room for instilling the Shechina in his heart. This is so because he will not be able to carry it, meaning he will not want to take upon himself the accepted way, “as an ox to the burden and as a donkey to the load.”

It therefore follows that one should exert all of one’s energy only on this. That is, one should always seek advice how to take upon himself the abovementioned burden. One should focus all of one’s work, meaning in everything that one does in Torah and Mitzvot [commandments], one should desire that these works will bring him the assuming of the burden of the kingdom of heaven not in order to receive reward, and that this is where “the Lord your God has chosen to set His name.”

It is known that His name is called Malchut, who is called Shechina. This is as the holy Zohar writes,“He is Shochen [dweller]; she is Shechina [Divinity/where He dwells].” It is as Baal HaSulam says, that the place where the Creator is revealed is called Shechina, and the Creator is called Shochen. However, when is He called Shochen? When there is someone who attains the Shochen. At that time he says that Shochen and Shechina are not two things, but one. That is, the Shochen is called “light without a Kli [vessel],” and the Shechina is the place where the Creator is revealed. It follows that all that there is in the place where the Creator is revealed is the Creator, and nothing else. However, there is light and Kli, meaning there is a Kli that attains the light.

It therefore follows that the place where the Creator has chosen to set His name is as we learn, that we need to correct our vessels of reception to be in order to bestow contentment upon the Creator. This is the meaning of equivalence of form. Then, in that place, the name of the Creator appears.

Thus, how can it be said about a near way, “And God did not lead them, for it was near”? After all, a far way means as it is written concerning the second Passover, that one who was on a far way is put off for a second Passover. It is as it is written in the portion, Re’eh (Deuteronomy, 14:24): “If the distance is so great for you that you cannot carry it.” According to Baal HaSulam’s interpretation, remoteness of location stems from being unable to carry it, meaning to tolerate the burden of the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, how can it be that the far way is better than a near way?

In Masechet Iruvin (p 53b), he writes there in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Hananiah, who said, “Once I was walking along the road and saw an infant sitting at a crossroads. I said to him, ‘My son, which way leads to the city?’ He said to me, ‘This one is long and short, and this one is short and long.’ I followed the short and long. When I arrived at the city, it was surrounded by gardens and orchards. I went back and told him, ‘My son, did you not tell me, this one is short?’ He replied, ‘My Rav, did I not say ‘Short and long’?’’” This means that there is an issue of near and far, and far and near.

It is written in the portion, Nitzavim [Standing] (Deuteronomy, 30:11): “For this commandment which I command you today is not beyond you, nor is it far. For the matter is very near you—in your mouth and in your heart to do it.” This means that “near” is a good way, as it is written, “In your mouth and in your heart to do it,” and not as in the portion, Beshalach.

To understand the above we must interpret this with regard to the beginning of the work. There is a matter of work in practice, and there is a matter of working on the intention. That is, one should work on the intention, too. This means that while observing the Mitzvot [commandments], one should have a good intention, meaning with which intention he is performing the Mitzvot, namely the reason that causes him to keep the Mitzvot.

Since we should aim the actions to be not in order to receive reward, and since man is born with vessels of reception, which is that it is impossible to do anything without receiving reward for one’s work, for it is in our nature not to make any movement unless we see that it is worthwhile, that we will have more pleasure by relinquishing rest.

That is, we relinquish the state we are in, in order to receive more pleasure than we have now, before we leave the pleasure and go do something else. Thus, it is certainly important that through performing a new act he will receive more pleasure.

Thus, he must do and keep the Torah and Mitzvot not because the Creator wants us to keep them and we want to do His will so He will derive pleasure from our obedience to Him. Rather, since He promises us a great reward for listening to Him, we try to keep what He wants from us, since we are looking at the good reward that He will pay us for our work.

This is similar to people working for an owner at a factory. A usual workday lasts eight hours. By the workers working for him, the owner makes money. Therefore, the owner enjoys having workers who do his will.

Some of the workers approach the owner and tell him that since they see that he is troubled by the fact that he has promised someone to deliver products by a certain date, but they see that according to the pace of the work that the workers are producing in eight hours, he will not be able to meet the terms of the contract and provide all the merchandise on time. Therefore, they agree to work overtime for him. Although they must be home immediately after the eight hour workday, since they have children to tend to, and one of them has a wife who is a little sick, so they try to come home immediately after work, but because they see his distress, they are willing to work overtime for him.

Naturally, when the owner hears of his workers’ dedication to him, that they cannot stand his sorrow and therefore agree to work overtime because they know that he is stressed because he must meet the contract that he promised the buyer to provide a certain amount of merchandise by a certain date, but according to the pace of work in eight hours he will be unable to keep his promise.

Therefore, the feeling in their hearts toward the giver of the work does not let them rest without doing something for the owner, so they agree to labor more than they are able. That is, although it is passed the workday hours and have families with many children, and one of them has a wife who is a little sick and he must do the domestic chores, as well, their conscience does not let them leave the owner in distress.

Therefore, they approach him and tell him, “We have decided to work overtime for you.” When the owner hears his workers’ devotion, he sees a new thing: before these workers came to him to show him that they sympathize with his affliction, he thought that all the workers had no emotions or conscience. Rather, they worked for him and not for others only because he pays more than others, so they work for him. But now he sees otherwise—that he was wrong about the workers.

But afterwards they tell him: “However, you must know that for overtime, meaning to work at night, too, we want you to pay us for the overtime twice as much as you pay us for regular hours.” Then the owner begins to think again: “Is the reason why they want to work overtime really as they say, that they want to help me in my plight? Or is it the opposite, they see I’m in distress and therefore demand more money for overtime because they know I have no choice? They let me see that I need to give them what they want because they tell me of my dire state, so I will know that they know my situation, and so they want to pressure me to pay them for the overtime the money they are asking.”

From this we can take an example of our work in keeping Torah and Mitzvot, meaning to discern between action and intention. An action means that he intends to do the act that He has commanded us through Moses to keep Torah and Mitzvot in all its details, and that we should aim that the Mitzva [commandment] we are doing is in order to do His will, that He wanted us to keep Torah and Mitzvot.

It follows that the intention that a person should intend is that we should aim that the actions we do are to keep what He has commanded us. This is regarded as intending for the action to be fine, as He had told us through Moses. It is like the judgment concerning blowing the Shofar [special horn blown on special days], that “If he blows the Shofar in order to learn, or blows in order to sing, and not for the purpose of Mitzva, then he has no done his duty” (as it is written in Way of Life, Rules of Rosh Hashanah, item 589).

It therefore follows that when we say that Mitzvot require intention, it means that he should aim that the act he is performing will be because he wants to keep the commandment of the Creator. Certainly, the act should be according to the law that our sages determined the measures of Torah and Mitzvot—how and in what way it should be in the practice of Mitzvot.

For example, the Sukkah [the hut of the Tabernacle Festival] has several rules to it in terms of shape. Otherwise, the work is deficient. The same applies to studying Torah, and to the negative Mitzvot [commandments to avoid certain actions]. There are many rules concerning them. If he does not keep the laws concerning them then there is a deficiency in the work of Mitzvot. Even if he does everything according to the law, he should still intend that he is performing the Mitzva because the Creator has commanded us to do His will by keeping the Mitzvot that He has commanded us through Moses.

All this is regarded only as “the practice of Mitzvot,” but not the intention. This is so because everything he thinks about doing the act that the Creator has commanded us, and all the labors we labor in Torah and Mitzvot, are like all the people in the world, who work and labor to be rewarded, and nothing more.

Also, here we need additional attention because when we say that all the work is in the practice of Mitzvot, it means that the labor is in the practice, and it cannot be said here that there is work for the reward. Rather, in order to receive reward for the labor, we do not see that a person will need effort to receive reward, since the only reason we labor and relinquish many things is that we are considering the reward, for only the reward compels us to do hard work without minding the quality of the work or the time of the work, for the reward determines everything.

Thus, we should understand why we are saying that there is work on the intention, meaning work on the reward. After all, how can we speak of work here? However, the thing is that when a person engages in Torah and Mitzvot and wants his reward to be that the Creator will give him the thought and desire to work not in order to receive reward, the body does not agree to such a reward, since normally we receive reward for work. That is, the work is in concessions of needs that he enjoys, in return for which he will receive greater pleasures than he is conceding. For example, he relinquishes rest, and sometimes sleep, and so forth, and receives in return greater and more necessary pleasures.

This is not so when he relinquishes pleasures by coercion, when the body disagrees and wants reward in order to agree to relinquish all kinds of pleasures. It follows that the work is acts of bestowal, and the reward will be the intention only to bestow, without any reward of reception. For this intention, meaning for this reward, one must work a lot.

This is more difficult than working in practice, although he does not need to different things at a different time for the intention of the reward. Rather, the same work that he does, and at the same time when he is working, are enough for him, and he does not need other actions, but merely thought and intention. What is the intention? That his thought and desire will be like the act.

That is, as he does the work because the Creator has commanded him to do it, so the intention will be only that he wants to keep the commandments of the Creator only for the Creator, without any reward. The fact that all that is demanded of man while performing the act—when he is doing the Creator’s will—is to aim while performing the Mitzva, not because he is considering the reward, compels him to work day and night. That is, he keeps what is written, “And you shall contemplate Him day and night” not because he is considering the reward, and this makes him work day and night. Rather, his desire to bring contentment to the Creator is the reason why he exerts in the work.

This is similar to the abovementioned allegory about the workers who agreed to work overtime for the owner at night, but demanded that he pay them twice as much as they receive during regular hours. We see the difference between working in order to receive reward and working not in order to receive reward. No one can say that the workers are faithful to the owner, and this is why they agree to work for him day and night. Rather, they say the opposite about them, that since the owner needs their work they use him and want him to double their pay.

It is the same with work. Although LoLishma [not for Her sake] is work, and there is nothing to add in terms of actions, but there is the matter of intention here, meaning what the workers intend by working—whether it is to their benefit or to the benefit of the Creator.

It takes a lot of hard work for the body to agree to work for the Creator, meaning to tell the body what I hope for, what reward I want to receive from the Creator for forcing you to work so hard—so the Creator will give me the reward that you will not be able to obstruct me when I want to do everything in order to bestow.

Naturally, the body yells out loud and does all that it can to avoid losing its control. Therefore, it does not let them do the simplest tings because it is afraid that by merit of the act he will achieve Lishma, which is entirely for the Creator, and it will have no part that it will be able to receive for self-love.

Because of it, we see that for those who want to keep Torah and Mitzvot in order to bestow, every little thing is very difficult because the body is afraid in every action it performs that perhaps through the work he is doing the person will achieve Lishma, and all the control of the will to receive over the person will be revoked. This is regarded as having work on the reward, as well. It means that he has work to choose the reward he wants for his work in Torah and Mitzvot—whether it is reward that pertains to self-love or reward that is “for the Creator alone,” and he does not want to give self-love any part of his work, and always thinks, “When will I be granted with having a desire only to bestow contentment upon the Creator?”

Now we can understand what we asked, “How can there be a bad near way,” as it is written, “And God did not lead them, for it was near.” We can understand what the infant said to Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Hananiah, that “There is a far and short way, and a short and far one,” meaning near but far. This means that although it is near, it is far from the goal.

It is known that Maimonides says that we should not disclose the matter of Lishma, as he says (Hilchot Teshuva[Rules of Repentance], Chapter 10), “Sages said, ‘One should always engage in Torah, even LoLishma, because from LoLishma he will come to Lishma.’ Therefore, when teaching little ones, women, and ordinary people, they are taught only to work out of fear and to receive reward. Until they gain more knowledge and acquire much wisdom, they are told that secret bit-by-bit, and are accustomed to it calmly until they attain Him and serve Him out of love.’”

It implies from the words of Maimonides that there is a near way, meaning that it is near to man’s heart, meaning in order to receive reward. It follows that it is called “near” because it is close to man’s heart. But there is another interpretation of “near way,” which is that a person sees each time that he is coming closer to the goal, and for him the goal is called “reward,” and he hopes that when he has a certain amount of Torah and Mitzvot, he will promptly receive reward for his work, as it is known that being a hired worker pays only in the end (Baba Metzia, 65).

Therefore, he believes that when he finishes his work in this world he will receive his reward in the next world, besides having Mitzvot whose reward is in this world, too, as it is written, “These things that a man eats, their fruits are in this world, and the capital awaits him for the next world.”

It therefore follows that each day he feels that he has something in his hand, meaning the reward of a day’s work, and each day joins a year, and a year to a year. For example, a person who begins to observe Mitzvot at age thirteen, which is the time when Mitzvot become mandatory, by age twenty he is happy that thank God, he already has seven years of work written to his account. By age thirty he is extremely happy because he already has seventeen years of work written in his book. It follows that each time he works he can be happy that his reward is growing from day to day. This work is called “close to his heart,” since he is certain about his advancing reward.

This way is called “near way” because it is agreeable to the heart, since if one sees progress on his way, that way sits well with the heart because he has what to examine. In the work he does, he sees that each day he has a certain amount of work in Torah and Mitzvot, and everything is written in his book, as it is written (Avot, Chapter 3), “He would say, ‘All is in deposit, and a fortress spreads over all of life. The store is open and the shopkeeper sells by deferred payment; the book is open and the hand writes.” Therefore, he is certain that he has a great asset of reward that he has accumulated by working each day and from year to year. For this reason, this way is called “near way.” This is also called “a short way” for the above reason, since he does not need a long time for a person to understand that it is worthwhile to walk on this path because this path is close to his heart. This is why it is a short way.

However, it is a long way, meaning to achieve the truth, for the Torah and Mitzvot to bring him into having the intention only to bestow. It is very far because this way is the opposite of the path of Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator, which is entirely to bestow. Here he begins to walk on a way that his intention will be only to receive reward. But the purpose one should achieve through his labor in Torah and Mitzvot is to bring him to work in order to bestow, as our sages said, “I have created the evil inclination, I have created the Torah as a spice.” He needs to see that through Torah and Mitzvot, the evil in him, called “receiving in order to receive,” will be corrected and he will be able to do everything for the sake of the Creator, and not for his own sake. Concerning his own sake, it is as our sages said about the verse, “If a man dies in a tent,” that the Torah exists only in one who puts himself to death over it,” and not for his own benefit.

This is called “near and far.” It is near to his heart for the two above reason, but far from the truth, as Maimonides says (Hilchot Teshuva, Chapter 10), “One who works from love, engages in Torah and Mitzvot, and walks in the paths of wisdom not because of anything in the world, and not because of fear of evil, and not in order to inherit abundance, but does the truth because it is the truth.”

It follows according to the words of Maimonides that the above near way is far from the truth. Accordingly, we can interpret, “God did not lead them through the land of the Philistines, for it was near; lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.” The matter of “when they see war” should be interpreted to mean that by engaging Lo Lishma, the way is the one that illuminates illumination that one must achieve Lishma. And since the beginning of the work is in Lo Lishma, they will not want to go to war with the inclination because they will fear losing their degree of engaging in Torah and Mitzvot.

This is a far way. The Creator wanted to go with them right away to Mt. Sinai and give them the Torah. This is why He told them right away that they must go by the far way. That is, although this work is far from the heart, it is close to the truth, and by this they will be fit to receive the Torah at the foot of Mt. Sinai.

Therefore, it follows that we can interpret “long and short way” to mean short and near. Thus, the meaning will be “far from the heart,” meaning that it requires a long time to make the heart see until it can understand that it is worthwhile to work for the purpose of truth, meaning to keep Torah and Mitzvot in truth because the Creator has commanded us to keep the Torah and Mitzvot, and we want to keep it so that He will enjoy our doing His will.

It follows that the cause and reason for keeping His commandments is the Creator, and not the person. This means that the importance of the Creator compels him to have a desire and craving to serve Him and bring Him contentment. This is called a “far way,” which is because it is far from the heart, but close to the truth, where by being shown the truth, he is closer to touching the truth.

However, “near and far’ means “short and long.” This will mean “close to the heart,” for since the body craves pleasures, and he promises it that through his labor in Torah and Mitzvot it will receive reward, it follows that the body is the reason for keeping Torah and Mitzvot. That is, if he could receive greater pleasure elsewhere, why would he work where the salary is low? This is why this is called “near and short,” for it does not require a lot of time to make the body understand that it should assume the burden of Torah and Mitzvot.

It is as he says in the Sulam ([Ladder commentary on The Zohar] (“Introduction of the Book of Zohar,” item 191): “1) Fear of the Creator and keeping His Mitzvot so that his sons may live and he will be kept from bodily punishment or a punishment to one’s money. This is fear of punishments in this world. 2) When fearing punishments of Hell, as well. Those two are not real fear, for he does not keep the fear because of the commandment of the Creator, but because of his own benefit. It follows that his own benefit is the root, and fear is a derived branch of his own benefit.” It follows that this is called “long and short, far and near” because of what is written in the portion, Beshalach, “God did not lead them through the land of the Philistines, for it was near.”

However, in the portion, Behaalotcha, it is written regarding the second Passover, “or one who was on a far way is put off for a second Passover.” We asked, “This means that the far way is not good, and this is why he was put off for a second Passover?” We should interpret that when a person walks on the near way, meaning close to his heart, he feels that he is closer to Kedusha [holiness] than others, who are walking on the far way, since each day he feels that the Torah and Mitzvot he is performing are accumulating and increasing.

Thus, he has nothing to correct in himself in order to be close to Kedusha, for he can see with his own eyes and does not need to believe above reason that he is ascending on the levels of sanctity. After all, he is keeping the Torah and Mitzvot in every detail, so naturally his Kedusha is growing every day. He feels that he is a complete righteous, and wonders how he can keep what our sages said, “Be very, very humble.”

It follows that such a person, from the state he is in with respect to practice, is hopeless to ever be able to make a sacrifice to the Creator, meaning to come near Him with respect to equivalence of form because he does not feel that he is immersed in self-gratification.

However, if he feels that he is far from the Creator, meaning sees that he is still immersed in self-gratification, and yells to the Creator to let him out from self-benefit and into benefitting the Creator, then he can be corrected, meaning he is put off for a second Passover, and then he makes a sacrifice, meaning that then he comes near to the Creator.

It follows that we should discern two types in the work of the Creator: One type are those who still belong to LoLishma. The second type are those who already belong to Lishma. They are two types, and one cannot understand the other. This is called “long and short, far and near.”

Inapoi la pagina 1986 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Inapoi la pagina 1986 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

The Measure of Practicing Mitzvot [Commandments]

Article No. 25, Tav-Shin-Mem-Vav, 1985-86

We were given 613 Mitzvot [commandments] to perform in practice. Even without the intention, if he merely aims that now he is performing one of the Mitzvot that the Creator has commanded us, if we settle for observing the Mitzva [sin. for commandments] without thinking about any intention, but only straightforward, then he has done his duty.

However, we should keep all the Mitzvot according to the conditions in each Mitzva. For example, a person may keep the Mitzva of Tzitzit [tassels—adornment consisting of cords fastened at one end], as it is written, “They shall make for themselves tassels on the corners of their garments.” However, there are distinctions concerning the material from which the Talit [a prayer shawl that is worn during the morning Jewish services (on each edge of which there is a Tzitzit] is made, as well as the length and width of the Talit. Also, there are distinctions in the Tzitzit itself—the material from which it is made—wool, flax, or other materials—as well as the number of fringes, its length, and so forth.

The conditions in the Mitzva of Tzitzit should certainly be applied. Otherwise it is regarded as an incomplete practice of the Mitzva, and is a deficiency in the act. Also, there is adornment in the practice of Mitzvot, as our sages said about the verse, “This is my God and I will praise Him,” and there are many other precisions to make.

This matter applies to every performance of Mitzvot, whether Mitzvot from the Torah, from our sages, or Mitzvot that we keep because of customs, as our ages said, “Israel’s customs are Torah” (Minchot, 20b), “and our father’s customs are Torah.”

The extent of precisions, meaning how meticulous we should be with the Mitzvot, was given to us in the Mitzva not to eat leaven on Passover. An example of how meticulous we should be: This was given to us on Passover, since leaven implies the evil inclination. For this reason we have many restrictions and precisions. This was given to us as an example of how we should be careful not to come, God forbid, into actually transgressing. Therefore, we were given precisions that will make us stay away from the transgression itself, as well as keep the Mitzva itself.

However, the Baal Shem Tov said, “Let him not be too meticulous.” That is, one should not dedicate all his senses and time to precisions. Rather, as much as one can, one should keep the Mitzvot with all their details and precisions, but without excess. Perhaps this is why we do not apply the same strictness and precisions to all the Mitzvot as we do on Passover, for we need our energy for the intentions in the actions, too. Otherwise we will not have much time for intention.

This means that we must also think about the intention, as it is written, “I have created the evil inclination, I have created the Torah as a spice.” Thus, we must dedicate time and effort to the intention, too, meaning see to what extent the evil inclination is corrected through the Torah and Mitzvot. That is, we must criticize our desire, called “will to receive,” to see if we have become more distant from using the will to receive and moving away from it, and how much we have entered the work of bestowal. That is, we must constantly check ourselves so as to know for certain the measure of hatred we have acquired to hating our vessels of reception, and to craving vessels of bestowal.

Therefore, when one engages in some Mitzva, he must first know that he is keeping the Mitzva in a straightforward manner—that now he is not thinking of anything but the Mitzva he is performing, meaning to know that he is observing the commandment of the Creator and believe that the Creator has commanded us through Moses to keep His commandment. By keeping the 613 Mitzvot that He has given us, as well as through the Mitzvot of our sages, and by keeping the customs of Israel, which are also Torah, everything he does should be with the intention that he wants to delight the Creator. He was given a great privilege from above to be able to speak with the Creator. Therefore, when he blesses, both blesses on pleasures and blesses on Mitzvot, he should know and think a little bit to Whom he is giving the blessing, to Whom is he giving thanks.

One should depict that if he were allowed in to see the most important man in town, whom not everyone is permitted to approach, how would he feel when he entered and spoke to him? Or if he were permitted to come to the most important person in the country, what joy he would have. And also, if he imagines that he were allowed in to speak with the most important person in the world, who speaks only to a chosen few, how happy and elated he would be that he was given this great importance, which others are not so fortunate to have? We see that in our world, this gives us satisfaction and contentment in life.

Accordingly, the question is, “Why can’t we depict this calculation and depiction of importance we have for a person, if he is respected in corporeality, that we can speak to someone so importance, while spirituality, when we speak to the Creator, we do not have this feeling of sensing with whom we speak, so as to tell ourselves, “Look how many people in the world do not have the privilege of speaking to the King of the world? But to us, the Creator has given a thought and desire to come in and speak with Him.”

However, a person must believe in what our sages said, “If the Creator did not help him, he would not overcome it” (Kidushin, 30). Thus, we should say that now the Creator has approached us and helped us, so why are we not inspired by the Creator and our hearts are not rejoicing?

However, when one speaks words of Torah and prays to the Creator, or when one blesses, he should imagine that he is speaking to an honorable person, to the King of the world, and wish that it will help him. That is, after all the depictions, it is still not the same as speaking to an honorable person in corporeality and the feeling he has then, where he feels the importance without any work. But in spirituality, he must toil with various depictions until he feels some importance that he is speaking to the Creator.

However, the matter is very simple: In corporeality, he sees that people respect him. Hence, the individual is influenced by the importance that the public has, and takes upon himself to serve him because of the importance he has absorbed from the public in regard to that person.

But with respect to the Creator, a person cannot see the true measure of people’s appreciation of the Creator. Rather, everything is built on faith. Where one must believe is where labor begins, for then doubts are born and one must decide whether yes and no.

There is a lot of work in spirituality when a person must appreciate the Creator, and for this to relinquish several things that the body enjoys. He feels as painful when he relinquishes his pleasures, and all in order to win the Creator’s approval and be allowed to come in and speak with Him, so He will let him feel with Whom he speaks, meaning that the Creator will be revealed to him and will not be so concealed.

But if he could receive the importance of the Creator from other people, as it is in corporeality, he would have no work. However, there is a special thing about Kedusha [holiness], called “Shechina [Divinity] in exile” or “Shechina in the dust.” It shows us the unimportance, which is the opposite of importance.

Naturally, we cannot receive importance from the public because we see that the public has no appreciation or regard for spirituality, from which he can receive support to rely on and go with what he was given importance, so he can relinquish the worldly life, called “corporeal life,” in order to take upon himself to serve the Creator in order to bestow and not for his own sake.

This is so because he does not see that others appreciate spirituality enough to make it worthwhile to relinquish self-love. This is so because when he begins to look at other learners of Torah and observers of Mitzvot, he does not see them with enough importance to cause them to work in order to bestow. Naturally, he does not receive the importance of spirituality as he receives the importance of corporeality from the public.

In corporeality he sees that there is a public that appreciates someone. It does not matter who or what they appreciate, but he is influence by them. But in spirituality he does not see that anyone, not even individuals, who appreciates spirituality. So what can he do to acquire importance that will make it worthwhile for him to work in order to bestow?

It follows that man has a lot of work to exert to do what he can in order to obtain some importance, so he will understand that it is a great privilege that he has been rewarded with serving the Creator and keeping His Mitzvot in utter simplicity, meaning without any great intentions. Rather, one should simply feel happiness and vitality in keeping what the Creator has commanded us.

That is, he should think that now he is doing the King’s will, and the King enjoys my doing His will. One should believe above reason that the Creator has sent him his thoughts and desires, which caused him to observe the Mitzvot, and that it came to him as an awakening from above. That is, now the Creator is calling him: “Come to Me; I want to give you a service in My palace.” When one thinks this, the heart is elated and fills with joy, and then he feels high spirited.

It therefore follows that it does not matter what he does. It is all the same, as it is written, “Be careful with a slight Mitzva as with a serious one, for you do not know the reward for the Mitzvot.” It can be said that it does not matter which Mitzva of the Creator a person keeps because his only thought is to bring contentment to the Creator.

Therefore, a person can derive great joy from small actions, since the main thing is not the greatness of the Mitzva, but the measure and importance of the Giver of the Mitzva. That is, it is according to his appreciation of the King.

When a person reflects, he sees that he must satisfy the desire, to have fulfillment. However, there are those who work to satisfy their own desires, meaning what the heart demands. This is called “lust.” Conversely, there are those who need to satisfy the will of others, what they require of him, meaning to dress, and live in an apartment, as they require, etc. This falls under the category of honor. And there is also fulfilling the Creator’s wish, what He demands, which is keeping of Torah and Mitzvot.

However, one should ask oneself: “Is serving the Creator really so important to me that I feel such great importance? So why after all the calculations, I forget everything, enter the corporeal world, stop everything related to Kedusha, and take upon myself to fulfill others’ desires and not the Creator’s, although I said that the Creator’s will is so important, more important than to satisfy my own desire?

“When I worry about satisfying my own desire, it falls under the category of lust. When I try to satisfy others’ desires it falls under the category of honor. I want to satisfy those two out of self-love. But when I want to do the King’s will, that state is very important because at that time I exit self-love, called ‘beast,’ and enter the category of ‘man,’ as our sages said, ‘You are called ‘man,’ and the nations of the world are not.’”

Thus, as soon as one comes out of the state of Torah and prayer he says that even the smallest thing he does in Kedusha is so important to him that it makes him very happy that he has been rewarded with entering the domain of Kedusha, and what fool would want to come out of the state of emotional satisfaction and elation? He feels that he is the happiest man in the world because he had the great privilege of exiting the beastliness that he was in all the time.

All of a sudden he is summoned to come before the King and speak with Him. At that time he looks at himself, how he is always immersed in worldly lusts like all other beasts. But now he sees that he has become a real man. He becomes very critical of his surroundings, how lowly they are, to the point that he can barely stand to be near them and speak to them because he cannot stoop so low as to speak to people devoid of the spirit of Kedusha, who are so immersed in self-love that he can barely stand them.

After all this, after some time, even a moment later, after all the criticism he passed on his surroundings, he completely forgets about the spirituality he was in and enters the corporeal world with all the beastly lusts. He does not even remember when he came out, the moment when he came out of the spiritual state into the corporeal state he is in now.

Thus, the question is, “When he was in the spiritual state and was delighted with his situation, was this a lie? Was it only a dream? Or is it to the contrary, that the previous state is his real state, and what he feels now, that he is immersed in beastly lusts, is a dream?”

The truth is that a person must believe that when the Creator appears to him a little bit, he begins to feel the importance of the King and is drawn to Him and annuls as a candle before a torch. If he continues to appreciate the herald he has heard from above, and to the extent that he can regard it, to that extent his aspiration for spirituality grows and he begins to feel that he has emerged from the corporeal world and entered a world that is nothing but good.

But if he forgets to appreciate that call—that he has been called to come speak to the King, and begins to enjoy and instill the joy he has into his vessels of reception, and he is not cautious to thank and praise the Creator for bringing him closer to Him, he is promptly repelled and ejected from the King’s palace.

This happens so fast that he has no time to feel that he has been ejected. Only after some time he comes to, and sees that he has been thrown out. But when he is ejected from the King’s palace he remains unconscious, and therefore cannot feel the moment of ejection.

It is known that in corporality, too, if a person falls from a high floor to the ground, if you ask him how he fell he does not remember anything. All he knows is that now he is in the hospital, but he does not remember anything: who picked him up, who brought him to the hospital, everything is forgotten.

It is the same in spirituality. When he is ejected from the King’s palace he does not remember who ejected him, meaning what caused him to fall off his state where he was in utter completeness, full of joy with his situation. He also does not remember when he fell from his high state into the ground, so as to say “Up to that point I was fine, and at that moment I fell.” He cannot remember the moment when he fell from his state. But after some time he opens his eyes and begins to see that now he is in the corporeal world.

This recovery—the consciousness he has regained when he sees that now he is outside the palace—can happen after several hours or even after several days. Suddenly, he sees that he is immersed in worldly lusts, and that once he had a state of ascent.

Now let us return to the matter from which we began, namely the greatness of the quality of practicing Mitzvot and words of Torah and prayer in utter simplicity, without any intentions but to learn Torah, since the whole Torah is the names of the Creator, and whether he understands the connection he has—that he is learning—meaning the fact that he is learning with the person.

That is, one should not say, “What does this come to teach us?” Rather, every word he learns is a great thing for his soul. And although he does not understand it, he must believe in the sages, who have instructed us so.

It is likewise in the prayer. He should know and believe that each and every word that our sages have arranged for us was said with the spirit of holiness. For this reason, we must regard each and every word, meaning that he has the privilege that the Creator has given him the thought and desire to observe His commandments, and to thank the Creator for it. He should believe that everything he does in spirituality, while others did not merit this, is because the Creator has chosen him to serve Him.

A person should reflect on how the King is calling him and gives him some understanding to at least keep His commandments so that he will have some contact with the Creator. Likewise, one should depict the importance of the King as much as one can and derive from this joy and elation. This is the path of truth.

That is, we should believe in the importance of the Creator although the body is still not impressed to the extent that he is seemingly serving a flesh and blood King, since there the public revere the King and the individual is influenced by the public. But in spirituality a person cannot see that the public revere the King and the value of annulling before Him is hidden from him. Instead, we must believe that this is so. This is called “right line,” meaning without any intentions. Rather, even if he engages with the littlest understanding, he should regard it as though he is doing a great service.

It is as our sages said (Avot, Chapter 2, Mishnah 1), “Be careful with a slight Mitzva as with a serious one, for you do not know the reward for the Mitzvot.” That is, it does not matter to us what service we do for the King, with which service we bring contentment to the King. Rather, we have one thought: that the Creator will be pleased with what I am doing.

Thus, it does not matter if this work is important or not, since I have no consideration of myself. It can be an unimportant work that not many people want, therefore he wants to do it because it is more needed than important work that many people want.

However, the question is, “Why can’t a person feel the light that shines in Torah and Mitzvot as soon as he begins the work?” Instead, he must believe that there is a hidden light there, which he cannot see. It would certainly be better if the importance about it were revealed to all, for then everyone could observe the Torah and Mitzvot.

Thus, why is there a concealment on Torah and Mitzvot to the point that each and every one must labor and toil, and perform all kinds of works in order to be able to say that the whole of the corporeal world is not worthwhile compared to Torah and Mitzvot, as our sages said ( Avot, Chapter 4, 22), “One hour of repentance and good deeds in this world is better than the whole of the life in the next world, and one hour of contentment in the next world is better than all the life of this world.”

However, we were given this concealment so as to have room for choice, meaning to have the ability to work in Torah and Mitzvot for the Creator, meaning in order to bestow. Otherwise, if the light that is hidden in Torah and Mitzvot were revealed, he would work only because of self-love. But then he would not be able to criticize himself and see if his aim is to bestow or for his own sake.

But because we were given the Torah and Mitzvot to keep during the concealment, we can keep them in utter simplicity, and say, “If my aim is to bestow, why should I mind what taste I feel?” Therefore, if one wants to be rewarded with anything, he must take upon himself to keep Torah and Mitzvot in utter simplicity.

Inapoi la pagina 1986 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Inapoi la pagina 1986 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

The Difference between Charity and Gift

Article No. 24, Tav-Shin-Mem-Vav, 1985-86

It is written (Proverbs, 15:27), “He who hates gifts will live.” This means that it is forbidden to receive gifts, for it causes the opposite of life. Thus, how do people receive gifts from one another? We should also ask about what the Creator said to Moses, “I have a good gift in My treasure, and its name is Shabbat. I wish to give it to Israel, go and notify them” (Beitza, p 16).

We see that it is customary that one can ask another for charity, but we have never seen someone asking another for a gift. For example, we sometimes see that before Passover, when a person must prepare Matzot [Passover unleavened bread] and wine and so forth for Passover, he goes to the collector of charity or to some wealthy person and asks him to help him prepare groceries for Passover. He tells him of his dire state and receives what he asks.

However, we have never seen anyone approaching his friend and asking for a gift. For example, now before Passover, his wife is asking him to buy her a diamond ring that is worth at least $200 dollars. He tells his friend that since he is in financial difficulties and cannot buy the ring she wants, he wants his friend to give him the money as a gift to buy his wife the ring for Passover.

We also never heard that in any town there is a collector of gifts, meaning that there will be a collector of charity in town, as well as a collector of gifts. Rather, the usual way is that gifts are given and not requested. That is, when someone loves another, a desire to please him awakens in him, and this is why he gives him a gift. It is impossible to speak of asking for gifts or a special place in town were gifts are given.

However, we should understand the real reason why we do not ask for gifts, and do ask for charity. There is an arrangement in every town to help the needy so they have their sustenance and can exist in the world. Today it is also established in every country that there is an office that tends to those in need.

The reason is very simple: there is a difference between necessity and luxury. Necessity is what one must receive in order to be able to exist. Otherwise, if he did not receive the necessary assistance, he would not be able to exist in the world. Our sages said about this (Sanhedrin 37): “Anyone who sustains one soul from Israel, it is as though he has sustained a whole world.” This pertains to necessity, without which he will not be able to exist. A person cannot relinquish this and not ask for help, for “All that a man has he will give for his life.”

This is why people are not ashamed to ask for charity, since it is more or less a matter of life and death. The other, meaning the giver, also understands that he should give him what is requested. The closer the matter is to life and death, the more openly the receiver demands, and the more the giver takes interest in the receiver’s situation. Likewise, the farther it is from life and death, the more coldly the giver relates to the state of the receiver. However, everything follows the track of necessity.

This is not so with luxuries. One who asks for luxuries is ashamed to ask. And the giver, too, does not listen to one who is asking for luxuries. For this reason, we should discern between charity and gift. With charity, the answer to the request of the receiver comes. That is, if the receiver of charity asks then he is given.

It follows that charity comes by an awakening of the lower one because he feels his deficiency. That is, when he sees that he cannot exist in the world without the giver’s help, the receiver is not ashamed but goes and despises himself before the giver, since he has no other choice.

But a gift comes entirely from the giver. That is, if the giver awakens to do something, to reveal the love to his loved one, he sends him a gift. It therefore follows that a gift comes by the awakening of the bestowing upper one, but charity comes by an awakening of the receiver.

One who receives the charity should go to the giver and make him see the need for the charity that he is asking of him. To the extent that the receiver can clarify the need that he will come for his aid, and to the extent that he can make him see that it is a complete must, then he receives what he is asking of the giver.

However, the main reason is, as we learn, that when we must use anything that is not in the root we feel unpleasantness about it, as he says (The Study of the Ten Sefirot, Part One, Histaklut Pnimit [Inner Reflection], item 19), “It is known that the nature of every branch is equal to its root. Therefore, every conduct in the root is desired and loved and coveted by the branch, as well, and any matter that is not in the root, the branch, too, removes itself from them, does not tolerate them, and hates them.”

It turns out that there is no reception in our root. Therefore, when one must receive he feels shame, which is unpleasantness, because it does not exist in our root. For this reason, when one needs one’s friend’s help, if it is necessary, we say that there is no choice because nothing is more important than saving one’s life.

However, there are many discernments concerning risk to life. Therefore, anything that is necessary makes us suffer the shame and ask for help. But necessity is not the same for everyone. Each person has a different measure. That is, what one person may consider luxury, another may consider necessity.

Thus, it is difficult to determine the boundary on what is considered luxury and what is considered necessity. Although we can say about something one wants that you can live without it, that it is luxury, if one cannot live without it, it is necessity. But this, too, cannot be a one hundred percent accurate gauge.

For example, our sages wrote (Ketubot, p 67b), “A man came to Rabbi Nehemiah and told him, ‘What do you eat?’ He replied, ‘Red meat, and antique wine. Do you want to have lentils with me?’ He had lentils and died.” We see from the story that although everyone agrees that red meat and antique wine are certainly luxuries, to this man they were such a necessity that because of it he died.

We also see there, in the words of our sages, “Our sages taught, ‘sufficient for his need, whatever he lacks’ (Deuteronomy, 15). ‘Sufficient for his need’: You command me to sustain him but you do not command me to enrich him. ‘Whatever he lacks’: even a horse to ride and a servant to run before him. It was said about Old Hillel that once he took for a poor man who grew up wealthy a horse to ride on and a servant to run before him. Once, he could not find a servant to run before him so he ran before him three miles.”

We can therefore see that according to the words of our sages about the verse, “whatever he needs,” that even a horse to ride on and a servant to run before him fall into the category of necessity, and not luxury, since here we are speaking of a poor man, as the Gemarah writes, that Hillel took a poor man who grew up wealthy. And certainly, what we give to the poor is called “charity,” meaning necessity. Even when it is a horse to ride on and a servant to run before him, it is still regarded as necessity. Thus, we cannot put a limit on where “necessity” ends and “luxury” begins.

It therefore follows that the poor man can ask to be given, as charity, what others regard as luxury. This means that we said that the poor man asks for charity does not feel shame because to him the charity is necessary. However, we cannot discern between charity and gift, which is considered luxury. Rather, it depends on the nature of the person.

Each person has his own gauge to determine necessity and luxury—because he can live without it. When a poor man does not have the courage to ask of another, it fall under the definition of a gift, which comes to him only as an awakening of the giver.

However, who can determine if what one asks of one’s friend falls under the category of charity or gift? Only the Creator knows one’s measure—that thus far it is considered necessity, and henceforth it is considered luxury.

Now we will speak of those terms in matters of work. We need to discern during the prayer, when a person asks the Creator to help him in the work, if he is asking the Creator for charity, meaning necessity, without which he tells the Creator that his life is pointless, meaning that he feels bare and destitute, without Torah and without Mitzvot [commandments]. He feels that there is not a spark of truth in him, and all his actions are built on hypocrisy and lies. That is, the whole foundation on which he builds his building of Kedusha [holiness] is one of self-love.

He feels that each day he is regressing, where he should have progressed. But he sees the opposite, meaning that when he started the work of holiness he felt more importance in Torah and work, and this was why he took upon himself Torah and work—since it was worthwhile to retreat from the vanities of this world and cling to Torah and Mitzvot, for it would bring him happiness and meaning to life, and he was very excited.

But now he does not understand where he took those forces. That is, now, if someone told him: “Drop it all, retreat from the vanities of this world, and begin to work the work of holiness,” there is no doubt that he would not be able to listen to him in his current state, both intellectually and emotionally.

He should certainly tell himself that then he had faith and confidence, but now he is far from all those. It turns out that the whole time he was engaged in the work it was in order to draw closer to the truth, which is Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator, to which he yearned. But now he has retreated ten degrees, meaning now he lacks the zeal for the Torah and the importance of Torah.

It is even more so with prayer: He has no desire for prayer because the body tells him, “What will you get from praying? You can see for yourself that the more you want to work, the lower you become, so why do I need this work?” Thus, how can one exert where he sees that he cannot move one step forward?

Man enjoys rest and is incapable of relinquishing rest unless he knows that he will have greater pleasure or something more required. At that time he has a reason to relinquish the rest, though not without a reward. Therefore, when he sees that his work did not earn him anything from of what he thought he would earn, he loses the strength to work and remains powerless.

He looks at himself and says that if anyone would come to him and say, “Know that in a little while, some months or years, you will come to a state of despair, meaning that you will have no progress, but to the contrary, that each year you will be lowlier than you feel now, for now you are lowly, therefore you want to begin the true work so as to achieve the true goal for which you were created. Therefore, I am telling you that you are wasting your efforts, since I know many people who thought as you do—that if you only make a small effort you will immediately see results, meaning some progress in the true work.”

I would reply to him: “You belong to the spies who slandered the land of Israel. It is just as the holy Zohar interprets (Shlach, item 63), ‘And they returned from touring the land.’ ‘Returned’ means they returned to the evil side, returned from the path of truth. They said, ‘What have we got so far? We have yet to see good in the world. We have labored in Torah but the house is empty, and who will be awarded that world and come inside it?’ It would be better if we did not toil so much.’ ‘They told him, and he said,’ etc., ‘We labored and toiled to know the part of that world, as you advised us. And it is also flowing with milk and honey. That upper world is good, as we know from the Torah, but who can be rewarded with it?’”

That is, now he says that after some time of work, if these thoughts had come to him in the beginning of the work, when he took upon himself that he must exit the ordinary situation, called “going by rote,” and be a true servant of the Creator, he would tell these thoughts: “You are messengers of the spies. This is why you come to me, to stop me from entering the land of Kedusha, called ‘holy work.’” He would not listen to them. But now he sees that he himself is feeling the argument of the spies, and now it seems to him that these are not arguments of the spies, but his own arguments, meaning that he feels that everything he feels is true.

As we have said above, the question that awakens is “What is the truth?” Was he at a higher degree in the beginning of the work than he is now after several years of work and labor? If so, what can be said about such a state? All his work was in vain. And not only in vain, since in vain means that he did not gain anything, and he is in the same state as before he entered the work of holiness in order to bestow.

But here it is not so. Rather, he has lost and declined from his previous state. That is, he is lacking the importance and zeal for Torah and Mitzvot, the energy and confidence he had. When he looks at himself today, he is in a state of “I could not care less.” So it seems as though one should say that he has declined from his previous state, when he began his work.

But in truth, it is not so. There is a rule that there is no light without a Kli [vessel]. This means that the Creator does not satisfy the lower one’s need if he does not have a real need.

A need does not mean that he does not have something. It is as I wrote in the allegory (Article no. 6, Tav-Shin-Mem- Vav), that there were elections in the country to elect a president. There were two candidates for presidency, and several lobbyists, each of whom wanted the president he supported to be elected. In the end one was chosen, and now there was a calculation regarding the deficiency. Someone felt that he was not the president, since in the end there is only one president.

We should say that all the people in the country have a lack, for we must say that they are not presidents. However, we should distinguish the amount of pain they feel at not being presidents. We should say that although ordinary citizens are not presidents, they do not feel any deficiency about it.

Those who engaged in making someone a president, but another president was elected, are in pain because of this deficiency that the one they worked for did not become president. However, the one who really suffers is that person who thought that he would be made president, who exerted to win the elections, to make his countryfolk elect him, but in the end his rival was elected. He feels the real suffering. We can say about him that he had the real need to be a president because he has exerted for it, and according to the efforts he has exerted, to that extent he feels the suffering.

It therefore follows that here, in the work of the Creator, in the beginning of his work he had energy and confidence, and great importance for Torah and prayer because at that time he had grace of holiness, and felt that the work of the Creator is important. However, this was still not considered a “deficiency” that the Creator will satisfy, a deficiency is called Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator, since the lack and pain of not having Dvekut with the Creator was still not felt in him as he has not exerted for it because he has just begun the work.

But when he does not see results over a long period of time of making efforts, and he does not see a satisfaction of his deficiency, torments and pain begin to form in him because he has made efforts but sees no progress in his work. At that time the thoughts begin to come one-by-one. Sometimes it is with sparks of despair, and sometimes he grows stronger, but then he sees once more that he has fallen from his state, and so on repeatedly. Finally, a real deficiency forms in him, which he has obtained through exertion in ascents and descents. These ascents and descents leave him with pain each time at not having been granted Dvekut with the Creator. Finally, when the cup has been filled sufficiently, it is called a Kli. Then the filling of it comes from the Creator, since now he has a real Kli.

It follows that his seeing that now—after several years of work—he has retreated, this happens deliberately so he will ache at not having Dvekut with the Creator. It turns out that each time he must see that he is approaching the making of the Kli, called “real deficiency.” That is, his gauge of Katnut [infancy/smallness] and Gadlut [adulthood/greatness] of the deficiency is to the extent of the suffering he feels at not having the filling, which is called here “Dvekut with the Creator,” where all he wants is only to bring contentment to the Creator. Before the deficiency is completed it is impossible for the filling to come in full. It is known that what comes from above is always complete. Thus, the deficiency should be full, as well, meaning that he will feel pain and deficiency at not having anything. That is, he should feel that he has no Torah, no work, and no fear of heaven.

Although in practice, he engages in Mitzvot, learns Torah, gets up before dawn, and is careful with the slight and serious things, and if other people did what he does they would regard themselves as complete righteous, but he feels that he is completely empty. This is so because he wants to be rewarded with Dvekut with the Creator, and for this one must have one thought, meaning that all his works will be in order to bestow, and he sees he is very far from this.

Therefore, he tells himself, “What am I gaining by engaging in Torah and Mitzvot? My whole calculation was that through this I will achieve Dvekut with the Creator. Yet, I do not see that I have moved one bit closer. On the contrary!” Thus, this person is not asking for luxuries, but only for necessity, to have something with which to revive his soul with some spirituality so he will not be immersed in self-love.

It turns out that he feels that he completely devoid of spirituality. However, other people do not have this feeling of being far from spirituality. Rather, we see that the rest of the people, if they can pray each day in a Minyan [a minimum of ten participants in a prayer] they feel complete. It is even more so with people who comes to study their daily page after work—they feel themselves as whole, and have no demand of the Creator to help them have the strength to walk on the path of the Creator. Rather, they pray for the Creator to help them continue their routine. Thus, they are already satisfied with life.

Even more so, those “whose Torah is their work” certainly feel whole and always praise the Creator for giving them the mind and desire not to sit among the idle. Although they pray to the Creator to help them with the matter the matter of Lishma [for Her sake], which they had heard existed, they regard it as luxury. They observe the essence of Torah and Mitzvot, but do not have this matter of working Lishma. It is true that one should engage Lishma, but this pertains to a chosen few.

Thus, even when the pray that the Creator will grant them with learning Torah Lishma, they regard it as luxury and not as necessity, for thank God they feel that they are among the chosen ones in the nation, that they are in the “light of the vanities of Torah,” and for them, “their Torah is their craft.”

Thus, it turns out the same, that two people ask the Creator to grant them their requests. We should discern between them not by the prayer, but by the reason for the prayer: one wants it because his soul desires luxuries, so he is asking for a gift. But it is impolite to ask for gifts. Therefore, his request cannot be granted since one does not ask for presents, but it comes only from the giver, meaning that the giver awakens to give the gift to the receiver. For this reason it turns out that the lower one is full of grievances at the Creator for not hearing his prayer, since he is praying for gifts each day but he is not being heard. Therefore, he argues that there is something wrong, God forbid, with the upper one.

But the upper one argues that the lower one is wrong, since he is crying about receiving presents. What he thinks he needs is only a luxury to him. Therefore, if he corrects himself and sees the truth, meaning that he demand necessity, which is charity, then charity is given by the awakening of the lower one, as it is customary for the poor to ask. And the more the request is necessity, the more it is accepted.

This is what is explained above (Ketubot, p 67b), that meat and wine may be luxuries for every person, but for the one who came to Rabbi Nehemiah it was necessity. The evidence is that he gave him lentils to eat and he died.

By this we will understand why we see that once a person has made great efforts to achieve Dvekutwith the Creator, in the end he sees that he has become worse than when he began to do the holy work to correct himself. That is, it is as though the corrections he had made were in vain, useless, but to the contrary.

The answer is that in truth, he went a great deal forward, but we should discern between progress toward the light and progress toward the Kli. Human nature is to regard progress toward the light, since light is all that man wants. It follows that things that do not illuminate do not interest him at all, for what will it give him if he has a great deficiency? There is a rule that man wants things that bring him pleasure, so when he wants to know if he has advanced, he examines how much closer he is to the light.

But the truth is that there is no light without a Kli. Therefore, first he must advance toward the Kli. That is, there is such a thing as advancing in deficiency. In the beginning of his work his deficiency was not revealed to him and he craved the light, although then, too, he had a deficiency—that he did not have light.

But this is similar to what people do: Sometimes a person loses some important object that is worth one hour of his work according to what he earns per day. If, for example, he makes eight dollars a day, he will not work for less than one dollar an hour. Rather, rest will be more important to him. But if he loses an object that is worth one dollar, he will search for it two hours until he finds it. This brings up the question: “Why did he just work an hour to earn half a dollar?”

The answer is that there is a difference between denying profit and losing from the capital. What he possesses and then loses, even if it is a small thing, it is important to him because he had already had it but then lost it. This is not so with something that he did not obtain. A great thing is worth exerting for, but otherwise rest is more important to him.

The same rule applies to us. When he had a desire to achieve Dvekut with the Creator, that deficiency is called “prevention of profit.” That is, he is deficient that perhaps he will not profit, so he goes to work. But this is still not considered a real deficiency, fit for clothing the upper abundance.

But if he has already invested several years of work it is like losing from the capital. That is, he has lost several years of work without gaining anything. Then this deficiency is regarded as such because this deficiency creates in him torments and pains.

Thus, we see that the great efforts he has made, thinking that soon the Creator will help him and he will be rewarded with Dvekut with Him, so he was advancing concerning the desire for Dvekut because of the great efforts he has made, so the more he sees that he is exerting, the more he sees the opposite—that the body resists the matter of bestowal altogether.

At that time the understanding that he needs His help forms in him. At that time he is not asking for luxuries, but wants to be a simple Jew who believes in the Creator, that He, the blessed One, His name is the “Good Who Does Good.” He wants to praise the Creator and say to Him: “Blessed is He who said, ‘Let there be the world,’” just so, without any great attainments in Torah and Mitzvot with intentions, but very simply to be able to praise the Creator and thank Him for creating him.

Since now he sees that he does not even have the desire for Torah and work he had when he began to work, it is for two reasons, which are one: 1) The reason he began to assume the burden of Torah and Mitzvot was built on vessels of reception. At that time the body longed to receive the delight and pleasure because he felt that he could receive from spirituality more satisfaction in life, meaning that the will to receive would have what to receive, since corporeal pleasures did not give him satisfaction in life. But now that he has begun to work in order to bestow, his body resists it.

The body agrees to labor where it can gain. But now that he has told the body, “Keep Torah and Mitzvot and by that, meaning by keeping Torah and Mitzvot, you will be able not to give the body any pleasure or reward for your work.” Because of it, when the body hears that it will have reward for itself, but that its reward will be to have the strength not to give the body any reward for its work, this is the reason why now he has no strength to work as he did before he began to work in order to bestow, when the body expected greater pleasures than what it received from corporeal pleasures. Therefore, for this he had fuel and did not encounter any preventions from the body, since the body expected the desire to receive to gain more pleasures now.

However, we must know that the body has no other language, that it should want to work the holy work. Our sages said about this, “One should always engage in Torah and Mitzvot Lo Lishma [not for Her sake] for by that he will come to Lishma [for Her sake].” It follows that the beginning of his entrance to the work was just fine. That is, we must promise the body that God forbid that we should blemish its will to receive. On the contrary, by keeping Torah and Mitzvot, the will to receive will have real satisfaction in life, and his will to receive will feel that specifically by keeping Torah and Mitzvothe will feel that throughout the world, he is the happiest man in his generation.

But after he has begun the work and begun to know that the main thing is to achieve Dvekut with the Creator, called “doing everything in order to bestow,” the body begins to resist this work. However, there is great benefit in this resistance of the body, since by this a person develops a great deficiency, meaning he suffers from being far from Dvekut with the Creator. At that time, the more he regrets, the more he becomes needy of the Creator’s help, since then he sees that he cannot exit self-love by himself, but only the Creator Himself can help him. This is not a matter of understanding, but a matter of feeling. It is as it is written (Psalms, 127), “If the Lord does not build the house, they who built it labored in it in vain.”

It follows that one should believe that all the twists and turns that have brought him to his current state were so he would have the ability to give an honest prayer from the bottom of the heart. However, the evil inclination brings man opposite views, so where one can ask the Creator from the bottom of the heart, meaning when the mind and heart have come to a decision that now only the Creator can help him, because now he can pray a true prayer, the evil inclination comes and brings him to despair, as the spies argue. We can say about this, “The ways of the Lord are straight; the righteous walk in them and the wicked fail in them.”

With the above-said we will understand what we asked about the verse, “He who hates gifts will live.” It does not mean that he should not receive gifts. However, if he hates the gifts because he wants to work in order to bestow, therefore he hates being a receiver but receives the gifts because the Creator wants it. This is called “receiving in order to bestow,” since he would not awaken the Creator to give him luxuries. Rather, he is asking the Creator for necessity. And it makes no difference whether for another it is regarded as luxury, since each one works according to one’s own feeling, and does not mind what his friend has. If later the Creator gives him a gift, he receives it in order to bestow.

It follows that if a person asks the Creator to give him vessels of bestowal, it depends on a person’s character. That is, we can say that for one it is luxuries and for another it is necessity.

Inapoi la pagina 1986 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Inapoi la pagina 1986 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Concerning Fear and Joy

Article No. 23, Tav-Shin-Mem-Vav, 1985-86

The holy Zohar asks (Aharei, item 2 in the Sulam [Ladder commentary]), “Rabbi Yitzhak started, ‘It is written, ‘Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.’ It is also written, ‘Serve the Lord with joy, come before Him with singing.’ These verses contradict one another. But we learned, ‘Serve the Lord with fear,’ since any work by which one wishes to serve one’s Master requires fear first, to fear Him. And because of the fear of his Master he will later be rewarded with performing the Mitzvot [commandments] of the Torah with joy. This is why it is written, ‘What does the Lord your God ask of you but fear,’ and by this he will be rewarded with everything.’”

We should understand what is fear. We see that fear and joy are two opposites, and how can fear be a reason for joy, as he says, “Because of the fear of his Master he will later be rewarded with performing the Mitzvot of the Torah with joy,” since they contradict one another?

We should also understand why the Creator wants to be feared. What does it give Him? It is like a person walking into a henhouse telling them,” If you take upon yourselves to fear me, I will give you food and water. I will give you everything you want in return for fearing me.” Can it be said that man has any consideration whether the chickens respect him?

It is much more so with the creatures toward the Creator—what value and importance can we say that the Creator has for the creatures fearing Him? It is so much so that our sages said that a person must do nothing but engage in fear, as it is written, “What does the Lord your God ask of you but fear?” It is also written (Ecclesiastes, 3), “God has made it so that people fear Him,” which means that everything that the Creator did, He did so that He will be feared.

To understand the above, we should remember the purpose of creation, meaning the purpose for which the Creator created Creation. It is known that the reason is His desire to do good to His creations. However, in order to bring to light the perfection of His deeds, meaning so there will not be the “bread of shame,” He has made a correction called “Tzimtzum [restriction] and concealment,” where before one has vessels of bestowal it is impossible to see or feel His existence, called “recognition of the Creator.”

This means that although we say each day in the prayer, “The whole earth of full of His glory,” we still have no feeling of it. Rather, we must believe above reason that this is so. The reason is that although there are no changes in the light, because “there is no absence in spirituality,” there are nonetheless changes on the part of the Kelim [vessels], and the Kelim limit the light. It is so because in the Kelim we discern the greatness of the abundance—their impression from the abundance. If one has no Kelim that can be a clothing for the light, then no light is apparent in reality, according to the rule: “There is no light without a Kli [vessel].” That is, we must know one thing: we can speak of what we attain in our sensations.

Baal HaSulam said an allegory about the Tzimtzum: It is like a person covering himself so no one will see him. Can it be said that a person who hides himself so that others will not see him does not see himself because of it? Likewise, the Creator has made the Tzimtzum and concealment so the lower ones will not see Him while they are immersed in self-love, which is receiving in order to receive, which causes disparity of form and separation between the Giver, who is the Creator, and the receivers, who are the creatures.

And since there is no reception in our root, which is the Creator, when a person does engage in reception he feels unpleasantness, called “bread of shame.” This is why there was a correction on the part of the lower ones—that we attribute the Tzimtzum to the lower ones. That is, the lower ones need the Tzimtzum and concealment since precisely through this correction they will be able to correct the reception into aiming to bestow. But from the perspective of the upper one there are no changes. All the changes are only the qualification of our Kelim, as much as they can receive in order to bestow.

Accordingly, since the delight and pleasure do not illuminate in a place of separation, a person is unable to acquire complete faith prior to correcting one’s will to receive. It is as he says (“Introduction of the Book of Zohar,” item 138), “It is a law that the creature cannot receive disclosed evil from Him, for it is a flaw in His glory for the creature to perceive Him as an evildoer, as it is unbecoming of the complete Operator. Hence, when one feels bad, denial of the Creator’s guidance lies upon him to that same extent, and the superior Operator is concealed from him.”

From this we see the necessity of the correction of bestowal: Not only is it impossible to receive the delight and pleasure that has been prepared for us, but there is something here that removes us from faith in Him, and this is the worst!

Now we can understand the meaning of fear. We asked, “Does the Creator need us to fear Him?” According to what we explained, fear is as it is written in the Sulam [Ladder commentary on The Zohar], that man fears that perhaps he will not be able to overcome and receive in order to bestow, as it should be, but will receive in order to receive, which would cause him separation, not necessarily from the delight and pleasure that he will not be able to receive, but he fears that he will not come to deny His faith. It follows that he can actually come to the Sitra Achra [other side].

This is the meaning of “God has made it so that people fear Him.” Through this fear there will be a twofold great correction: 1) they will have faith in the Creator, 2) they will be able to receive the delight and pleasure that the Creator wants to give them.

It follows that the Creator wants to be feared so that we will have the Kelim to receive the delight and pleasure. By this we will have faith in Him, as it is written in the Sulam (p 138), “Fear is safekeeping that we will not be removed from His faith.”

From this we will understand what is written, “What does the Lord your God ask of you but fear?” It means that He wants to give us abundance, but what detains is the disparity of form, for the light cannot clothe in vessels of reception. Hence, when a person is afraid and vigilant to always keep his intention in order to bestow, the Creator can give him His bestowal in completeness, without any unpleasantness, called “bread of shame.”

By this we understand what we asked, “How can fear be reason for joy?” With the above said, it is simple: By having fear, meaning by being careful to always use the vessels of bestowal, the Creator can give him the delight and pleasure because he has vessels of bestowal. And certainly at that time he will have joy from the abundance he has received in order to bestow. It follows that the fear causes the joy, and if he has no fear he is removed from everything.

Inapoi la pagina 1986 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Inapoi la pagina 1986 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

If a Woman Inseminates

Article No. 22, Tav-Shin-Mem-Vav, 1985-86

The holy Zohar (Tazria, item 9), asks, “We learned that ‘A woman who inseminates first, delivers a male child.’ Rabbi Aha said, ‘We learned that the Creator sentences whether a drop will be male or female, and you say, ‘A woman who inseminates first, delivers a male child.’ Thus, we do not need the Creator’s sentence. Rabbi Yosi said, ‘Of course the Creator discerns between a drop of a male and a drop of a female. And because He has discerned it, He sentences whether it will be a male or a female.’”

He interprets in the Sulam [Ladder commentary]: “There are three partners in a man: the Creator, his father, and his mother. His father gives the white in him, his mother—the red in him, and the Creator gives the soul. If the drop is a male, the Creator gives the soul of a male. If it is a female, the Creator gives the soul of a female. This discernment that the Creator discerns in the drop—that it is fit for a soul of a male or a female—is regarded as a sentence of the Creator. If He did not discern it and did not send a soul of a male, the drop would not become a male. Thus, the two statements do not contradict one another. Rabbi Aha said, ‘delivers a male child,’ but does she deliver because she inseminates? It depends on conception! This verse should have said, ‘A woman who conceives delivers a male child.’ Rabbi Yosi said, ‘A woman, from the day she inseminates and conceives to the day she delivers has no other word in her mouth but whether her child will be a male.’”

We should understand the above matter. What does knowing about a woman inseminating first give us? And also, he tells us that the greatness of the Creator is that He knows how to discern between a drop of a male and a drop of a female. Is this the greatness from which one should be inspired and by which to take upon himself to be a servant of the Creator? We should also understand what Rabbi Aha is asking, “A woman who inseminates and conceives.” It should have said “male.” Rabbi Yosi explains, “A woman, from the day she inseminates and conceives to the day she delivers has no other word in her mouth but whether her child will be a male.” That is, she is concerned about her child being a male. What does knowing what is in the mouth of a woman give us? What will happen if we know this concern of a woman, that she is worried about her child being a male?

To understand all this we will explain what is written in the essay, “Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah” (item 57): “The whole purpose of the Tzimtzum that unfolded in Behina Dalet was to correct it, so there would be no disparity of form in it, as it receives the Upper Light. In other words, to create man’s body from that Behina Dalet. …Through his engagement in Torah and Mitzvot in order to bestow contentment upon his Maker he will turn the force of reception in Behina Dalet into working in order to bestow. By this he equalizes the form of reception to complete bestowal, and then will be the end of correction, since this will bring Behina Dalet back to being a vessel of reception for the Upper Light, while being in complete Dvekut [adhesion] with the Light without any disparity of form. Yet, this requires one to be included with the higher Behinot, above Behina Dalet, so as to be able to perform good deeds of bestowal. …This is because Behina Dalet, which should be the root of man’s body, was entirely in the form of vacant and empty space, devoid of Light, as it was of opposite form from the Upper Light. Thus, it is considered separated and dead. If man had been created from her he would not have been able to correct his actions whatsoever, since there would be no sparks of bestowal in him at all.”

To correct this was the matter of the association of the quality of mercy with judgment, since the world cannot exist on the quality of judgment, as it is written (item 58), “‘He saw that the world does not exist’ means that in this way it was impossible for man, who was to be created from this Behina Dalet, to acquire acts of bestowal, by which the world will be corrected in the desired amount through him. Through this association, Behina Dalet—the quality of judgment—was incorporated with the sparks of bestowal in the Kli [vessel] of Bina. By this, man’s body, which emerged from Behina Dalet, was integrated with the quality of bestowal, too, and could perform good deeds in order to bestow contentment upon his Maker until he turns the quality of reception in him to be entirely in order to bestow. Thus, the world will achieve the desired correction from the creation of the world.”

He interprets the association of the quality of mercy with judgment in the Sulam ( Tazria, item 95): “You already know that there are two points in Malchut: the first is Malchut de [of] Tzimtzum Aleph [first restriction], which was not mitigated in Bina, the quality of mercy, and is therefore unfit to receive any Light, since the force of the Masach [screen] and Tzimtzum [restriction] is over it. The second point is the point of Malchut that was mitigated with the quality of mercy, which is Bina. All the lights that Malchut receives are from the second point. Hence, the first point is concealed within it, and only the second point is revealed and governs it, and is therefore fit to receive the Upper Lights. For this reason, Malchut is called ‘the tree of knowledge of good and evil,’ since if one is rewarded, it is good, for the first point is concealed and only the second point governs. At that time there is abundance in Malchut and the lower one receives from her. If he is not rewarded, for he is a sinner, there is power in the serpent to reveal the first point in Malchut, which did not partake in Bina, and then she is bad.”

Now we can interpret the words of the holy Zohar concerning, “If a woman inseminates and delivers a male child.” We asked, “What does it teach us if a woman who inseminates first delivers a male child?” According to the words of the holy Zohar, there are two forces within us:

1) the quality of judgment, which is regarded as a female, called Malchut,

2) the quality of mercy, which is regarded as a male, namely a male force, meaning bestowal, as our sages said, “As He is merciful, so you are merciful.”

These two forces govern man, but at times the quality of judgment is concealed and the quality of mercy rules, and at times the quality of mercy is concealed and the quality of judgment rules. We should know that “insemination” is similar to one who sows wheat in the ground. The seeds decay and wheat that is good to eat begins to grow. We also try to fertilize the soil by which the wheat will grow good to eat.

By this we can explain the verse, “If a woman inseminates.” If a person wants to begin the work to achieve Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator, and wishes to enjoy “man’s food,” and not “animal food,” his order of work should be that he will sow the “woman” in him, called “will to receive.”

That is, he should place his vessels of reception in the ground and try to make self-reception rot in the ground. The more he fertilizes it, meaning tries to understand and feel that self-love is as loathsome to him as manure, and the more he tries to see the lowliness of self-love and wants his self-love to rot, this is called “If a woman inseminates,” meaning the female in him, the vessels of reception. He buries this in the ground, meaning he wants his self-love to rot, and then she “delivers a male child,” meaning vessels of bestowal. By trying to cancel his vessels of reception, meaning self-love, he is rewarded with vessels of bestowal.

This is similar to burying wheat in the ground so it will rot, and by this he will late have wheat fit to be food for man. “Food” means that we enjoy it. That is, before one begins to work on the path of truth he enjoyed only what entered the vessels of self-love. Now he enjoys things that enter the vessels of bestowal, which is called “food for man” and not “food for beast,” which are beastly pleasures. This is called “If he is rewarded, the quality of judgment is concealed.” That is, the will to receive is concealed and does not rule, and only the will to bestow, called “the quality of mercy,” rules.

“Rewarded” means that he wants to be pure, meaning bestowing. “Thick” means desire to receive. Because he wants to achieve the quality of mercy, he is rewarded with the disappearance of the vessels of reception. That is, they do not govern, but the quality of mercy governs, which is called “bestowal” and “male.” This is called “delivering a male child,” where the child is born through the woman’s insemination, meaning by burying the will to receive in the ground, meaning that he wants to receive all his joys in vessels of bestowal.

This is not so if the man inseminates first, if the beginning of his work is the vessels of bestowal, of which he consists from the root of the correction. Through the association of the quality of mercy with judgment, he desires to bury the vessels of bestowal, called “male,” and then she “delivers a female.” This means that then the quality of judgment is revealed in him and governs, while the quality of mercy, called “male,” disappears and he is powerless to do anything with vessels of bestowal.

At that time he eats only animal food, and he is placed only in self-love, like animals. That is, if he sows in the ground the vessels of reception, called “female,” then food for man comes out, meaning the power to bestow. But if he buries the forces of bestowal in the ground, then she “delivers a female,” and all his food is in vessels of reception, regarded as delivering a female. By this we will understand what Rabbi Yosi replied to Rabbi Aha’s question, that the Creator discerns between a drop of a male and a drop of a female, and because He has discerned it, He sentences it to be a male or a female.

We asked, “What does that teach us?” Our sages said, “He who comes to purify is aided,” and the holy Zohar says, “with a holy soul.” It follows that when the woman inseminates first, meaning that the beginning of his work is to sow, meaning bury the woman in him in the ground, namely his will to receive for himself, and all his thoughts are about how to be rid of self-love, and this is what he asks from the Creator, then the Creator discerns whether the drop is of a male, meaning that he wants the Creator to give vessels of bestowal. At that time the Creator gives him the soul of a male. That is, He gives him power from above, called “holy soul,” by which he can be a giver, if the Creator sees that his intention in the work of Torah and Mitzvot [commandments] is to purify himself because he wants to exist the Tuma’a [impurity] of self-love, so the Creator gives him a soul of a male.

If the Creator discerns that the drop is of a female, meaning that the man inseminates first, namely that the beginning of his work is to expand his vessels of reception, that his root, called “the association of the quality of mercy with judgment,” but he intends only to receive greater reward through his actions, as it is written in the holy Zohar, “they howl as dogs saying ‘Give us the wealth of this world, and give us the wealth of the next world,’” it follows that his aim was only to expand the possessions that belong to self-love.

It follows that by sowing, meaning by burying the mingling he has with the quality of mercy, he causes the quality of mercy, which is the force of bestowal, to be concealed. This is called “sowing,” when we place and conceal the wheat in the soil, and the wheat becomes hidden in the ground. This implies to us that the force of bestowal has been concealed, and the force of reception is revealed. This is called, “she delivers a female child.”

It follows that what Rabbi Yosi said—that the Creator discerns whether a drop is a male or a female—comes to teach us that one should not say, “I have been engaging in Torah and Mitzvot for so long, and have been observing everything, slight and serious, but I do not see that the Creator is helping me form above so I can ascend the degrees of holiness.” He asks, “Where is the help from above, as our sages said, ‘He who comes to purify is aided’?”

Rabbi Yosi comes and says about this that the Creator discerns what is the drop—whether a male, if you want the work of bestowal, or the work of a female, meaning that all your work is to receive reward, called “giving,” but in order to receive. Therefore, he cannot say that the Creator does not hear his prayer. Rather, the Creator hears and knows what he is praying, meaning that he does not want to bury his self-love in the ground at all, so how can the Creator give him what he does not want?

It is known that there is no light without a Kli. A Kli is called a deficiency, and “light” is the filling of the deficiency. If a person has no deficiency to feel that he has no desire to bestow, this is the essence of man’s lowliness, for which he is removed from Kedusha [holiness] and is unable to be rewarded with Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator. This is regarded as not having a Kli to receive the filling. This is why Rabbi Yosi says that the Creator discerns which drop it is, meaning what a person wants the Creator to place there, which soul, meaning light that is clothed in vessels of bestowal, namely that He gives him light so as to have the force of bestowal, or the force of reception. For this reason, he must not complain to the Creator because He gives one what one wants.

This is as our sages said, “How is repentance? When He knows the mysteries will testify that he will not turn back to folly.” This means that by the Creator giving him a soul of a male, meaning light, so as to have the power to bestow, by this the testimony of the Creator appears, when He “testifies that he will not turn back to folly,” since the Creator has given him the soul. By this he is certain that henceforth he will not work for self-love but only in order to bestow.

It is written similarly in the words of the holy Zohar, that he who comes to purify is aided. And this is what Rabbi Yosi said, that the Creator certainly discerns whether a drop is of a male or of a female. And because He has discerned it, He sentences whether it is to be a male or a female. This is regarded as “He who knows the mysteries will testify that he will not turn back to folly.” However, how can one come to want to bury his self-love, which we call a Kli, and the Creator will give him light within this Kli, meaning the soul of a male in a Kli that comes by burying the will to receive, called “If a woman inseminates”?

It is very difficult for a person, once he has been created, to keep the quality of judgment revealed and the quality of mercy concealed. The beginning of man’s creation is as in, “Man is born a wild ass,” and the quality of mercy in him is a black dot, which does not shine. For this reason, he has no need or lack that will engender in him a thought that he needs vessels of bestowal. Rather, his only concern is to satisfy everything that self-love demands. If the Creator helps him to completely satisfy the will to receive, he will feel that he is the happiest man on earth, and what else does he need?

It follows that who can tell him that he needs a lack called “desire to bestow”? He hears a novelty: he is told that he needs a lack. That is, the name Kli, called “deficiency,” will now be what he lacks, meaning that he needs a lack, and the satisfaction will be receiving the lack. It follows that the names Kli and Ohr [light] refer only to the deficiency.

To understand this, we should precede with the words of our sages, that a prayer is called “work in the heart.” Why is prayer called “work in the heart”? After all, the prayer is only with the mouth. We should interpret that a prayer is called “deficiency,” when one wants his request to be granted, meaning to obtain a deficiency in that he has no need to want to bestow, but all he wants is self-love. But how can one demand something for which he has no need, although he hears that he is told, “This is all you need”? But if he does not feel, what should he do in order to feel that he is deficient?

Our sages gave us an advice about this, which is called “prayer,” which is the work in the heart. That is, a man says, verbally, that he lacks the desire to bestow, and the heart tells him that all he needs is to satisfy everything that self-love demands and not think of deficiencies, but of fillings. For this reason, he has a lot of work with his heart to want to ask for a deficiency that completely contradicts the will to receive, which is the creature’s very essence. At times the heart prevails, and at times the mouth prevails. It follows that then his mouth and heart are not the same because we need to know that in the end it is the heart that governs man, and not the mouth.

This is why it was said that man must work with his heart, to agree to ask for lack, meaning that the Creator will satisfy his lack, namely that here the filling is called “lack.” This is the meaning of “The Creator will satisfy his need,” meaning that the lack is regarded as filling.

Now we can understand that the only way to obtain a deficiency, that we are lacking the desire to bestow, is by prayer, which is a “medium” between man and the deficiency. That is, one prays for the Creator to give him something for which he has no deficiency, that he will lack it. It follows that the Kli that is called “deficiency” is a deficiency with respect to the feeling, meaning that he does not feel its lack, and the prayer is that the Creator will give him the light, which is the filling of his lack. It therefore follows that the filling is a lack. Thus, he has no other choice but to pray to the Creator to give him a deficiency, and this is what connects the Kli with the light.

It is as Baal HaSulam said in the name of the ADMOR of Pursov about what Rabbi Shimon said, “The writing should rush primarily where the pockets are empty.” A “pocket” means a Kli where one puts money. A “pocket” means deficiency, and “money” is the filling of the deficiency. Thus, if a person has no pocket, namely a deficiency, it is even worse than not having the filling because it is regarded as being unconscious. It follows that where one has no sensation of lack that he does not have a Kli of desire to bestow, he must hurry himself. With what? With prayer, which is the medium between the Kli and the light, between deficiency and deficiency, and the filling, where he already feels that deficiency that he cannot work in order to bestow.

Now we will explain what we asked about Rabbi Yosi’s answer to Rabbi Aha’s question about why it is written that “If a woman inseminates, she delivers a male child,” since the matter depends on conception, and it should have said, “If a woman inseminates and conceives a male child.” Rabbi Yosi replied that “from the day when she inseminates and conceives, a woman has no other word in her mouth but whether her child will be a male.” We asked, “What does it teach us, what the woman says?”

According to what we explained about the order of the work, we should interpret “If a woman inseminates” to mean the person who buries the self-love in the ground so that a male will grow out of it, meaning that he will be rewarded with a desire to bestow. It follows that as soon as he begins the work of obtaining the desire to bestow, called “If a woman inseminates,” the work in this direction begins and he begins to say, “I wish I will deliver a male.”

That is, we must go through a process of loathing self-love and feeling the measure of evil found in self-love. It is not enough to decide not to go on the path one is used to marching and wanting to change one’s habits. Rather, to him the measure of harm that self-love causes him should be revealed to him, for only by seeing what he is losing can he be certain that he will not regret midway.

This is similar to the sentence concerning a stranger who comes to convert (Yevamot, 47a), “Our sages said, ‘A stranger who comes to convert is told, ‘What did you see that you have come to convert? Don’t you know that these days Israel are afflicted, pushed, despised, maddened, and tormented (RASHI interpreted “despised” as in “low” and “coerced,” as “dethroned and coerced)?’ If he said, ‘I know and I am not worthy,’ he is accepted at once.’ The Great Book of Mitzvot wrote, ‘The reason is so he will not say afterwards, ‘Had I known, I would not have converted’’ (Yoreh De’ah, item 268).”

Wanting to exit self-love and begin the work of bestowal is similar to leaving all the states in which he lived, dropping everything off, and entering an area where he has never been. For this reason, he must go through conception and months of pregnancy until he has the ability to acquire new qualities, which are foreign to the spirit he has received since birth. Everything he has received from the environment with which he grew up and which reared him with their views and thoughts was entirely on the basis of self-love. He always thought about controlling others, and where he thought he would find a place where he could control he realized it is worth an effort, since it yields pleasure to the will to receive, and the majority supported him. This is regarded as receiving strength for his aspirations from the public, meaning he saw that everyone behaved this way so the body knew that it was worthwhile to exert to acquire power or respect or money. Everything focused on one line, called “desire to satisfy his Kli,” which is called “self-love.”

But now that he has come to convert, meaning exit self-love, where he thought about controlling others, now he is told he must make every effort to control himself and that he is forbidden to control others. And where each day he contemplated how much he has gained that day, which he put into the bag of self-love, now he is told that he should contemplate each day how much profit he has gained that he can put in the bag of love of others.

Accordingly, we should interpret what is said to one who comes to convert. It means that the person who was until now like a gentile, as it is written, “And they mingled with the nations and learned from their works,” the holy Zohar says, “Every person is a small world in and of itself,” namely that each person consists of the seventy nations, which correspond to seven qualities, each of which consists of ten. This is why they are called “seventy nations,” and the Israel in him is in exile, under the rule of the nations.

Therefore, when a person comes to take upon himself (the burden of) the kingdom of heaven and exit the exile to which he surrendered and to whom he listened until now—meaning he had to do what they asked and thought that this is how it should be, but the point in the heart has awakened in him and now he has come to work for the Creator—he is tolled, “Until now the nations did not humiliate the Israel in you. This means that your body still did not resist. But now that you want to be ‘Israel,’ while you have still not emerged from their governance, they despise the ‘Israel’ in you, since the body will not let you work in order to bestow. Therefore, first you must think if you want to take upon yourself this great work.”

But afterwards the nations of the world, too, surrender, meaning the body. However, before he completes his work he must go through months of pregnancy. For this reason, a person is not told the real meaning of annulling self-love. Rather, he must receive this information bit-by-bit, which is called “months of pregnancy.” This means that although it is said, “If a woman inseminates and delivers a male child,” the truth is as Rabbi Aha says, that it is not as people think that as soon as you inseminate, meaning as soon as you decide to bury your will to receive you “deliver a male child.” Rather, the matter depends on pregnancy. This means that although he has agreed to bury his will to receive, he still does not even know the real meaning of annulling self-love.

Rather, knowing the real nature of the will to receive is not something that one can feel at once, since the will to receive must be qualified and prepared so as to have the strength to relinquish real pleasures, which are eternal pleasures, if he has no exercises to accustom himself each time with greater self-love. That is, when a person begins the work of bestowal, he is constantly given from above greater pleasures even in corporeal things, so he accustoms himself to relinquish pleasures and receive them only in order to bestow.

Now we can understand what our sages said, that to the wicked, the evil inclination seems like a hairsbreadth, and to the righteous as a high mountain. We asked, “Is there a difference in reality?” But since a person should be prepared to have the ability to receive the eternal pleasures in order to bestow, he is constantly given more pleasure in everything, as exercises to learn how to use his vessels of reception, called “will to receive,” and still be able to receive it in order to bestow. Otherwise he will relinquish this great pleasure.

It follows that he must go through nine months of pregnancy, by which he acquires strength, called “desire to bestow.” If he sees that something disrupts the desire to bestow he has the power to repel it, and then he is called “delivers a male child.” That is, once he has been through the process of “months of pregnancy,” and not in the middle of the work, meaning that as soon as he begins the work he wants to see the power of bestowal that he has attained. Otherwise he is angry and says, “I have already started the work of sowing, so where are the fruits that I should obtain?” Rabbi Yosi explains about it that “A woman, from the day she conceives to the day she delivers has no other word in her mouth but whether her child will be a male.” This means that although she has not delivered, she cannot wait and wants to deliver right away.

Inapoi la pagina 1986 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Inapoi la pagina 1986 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Should One Sin and Be Guilty

Article No. 20, Tav-Shin-Mem-Vav, 1985-86

It is written in The Zohar, Vayikra (item 251): “We learned that it is written, ‘Should one sin and be guilty.’” Why does he first say, “Should one sin,” and finally, “and be guilty”? He replies that we learned that “should one sin” means that these are the transgressions with which the creatures have sinned, as it is written, “of all the sins of man.” “And be guilty” is as you say, “the guilt is returned to the Lord,” where “and be guilty” means “will be corrected.” That is, “should he sin” means if he corrects his works and returns what he has robbed. Rabbi Yosi said, “This means that the word, “returns,” means he returns by himself, since it is not written “will return,” which is imperative, but precisely, “returns,” meaning by himself.

We should understand why he says, “Should one sin.” Which transgressions are called “sin,” where it is written, “of all the sins of man”? We should understand this, since is there a transgression that is not considered a sin? He brings an evidence to this, as it is written, “from all of man’s sins.” Afterwards he interprets the verse “about theft,” which applies specifically between man and man.

But what about the Mitzvot [commandments] between man and the Creator? We shall explain this in the work. It is known that all the sins come because of the will to receive, which was imprinted in the creatures by the thought of creation “to do good to His creations.” After there was a prohibition on receiving in order to receive, which is the correction of the Tzimtzum [restriction] that was done in order to avoid the “bread of shame,” because of this correction, the worlds of Klipot [shells/ peels] emerged by cascading.

Then, through the sin of Adam HaRishon with the tree of knowledge, two systems emerged, as in “God has made one opposite the other.” Thus, there is ABYA of Kedusha [holiness] and opposite it ABYA of Tuma’a [impurity].

From here stem all the sins—by wanting to receive only in order to receive. This means that man was created by nature with self-love, meaning that he cares only for his own benefit. Only by the Segula [remedy/ virtue] of Torah and Mitzvot [commandments] can he be corrected to work in order to bestow. Before he receives this correction, called “in order to bestow,” he wants to swallow everything into his own domain, meaning to take everything out from the Creator’s domain and being it into man’s domain.

Three discernments extend from this in our world: 1) forbidden things and permitted things. 2) We make two discernments in permitted things: mandatory or optional. 3) The intention, meaning we should aim with forbidden things, too, not to do them, so it is for the purpose of bestowing. With permitted things, whether mandatory or optional, the intention should be to bestow and not for self-benefit, but he keeps Torah and Mitzvot because of the commandments of the Creator, for he believes in the Creator, that He will enjoy his keeping everything that He has commanded us. This should be his sole intention with everything he does, in positive Mitzvot [commandments to do something], negative Mitzvot [commandments not to do something], and in optional matters. He tries to aim everything for the Creator while engaging in them.

It follows that if a person receives pleasure into his own authority, his sin is that he takes out from the Creator’s domain into his own domain, since everything should enter the Creator’s domain, and man is only the Creator’s servant and has no authority of his own. Rather, everything should be in his Master’s domain, and the servant has no authority of his own.

However, when he receives the pleasures that exist in the world into his own domain it seems as though there are two domains. This is regarded as extracting from the domain of the Creator, whose world is His, and letting into his own domain.

Concerning extracting from his friend’s domain into his own, we should discern two manners: 1) His friend does not see that he extracts from his friend and lets it into his own domain. This is called a “thief.” That is, if his friend does not see, he has the courage to let his friend’s possession into his own domain. But if he sees that his friend might see him taking things and letting them into his own domain then he will not steal.

2) Sometimes he takes his friend’s possession even if his friend resists. This is called “robbing.” He robs his friend even if his friend sees, but he is not fazed by his yelling that it’s a robbery and he does not allow it. He insists, meaning he does not have the power to overcome the passion that he has for his friend’s possession, and he is compelled to rob. The reason he is not impressed by the other looking at him taking is that his will to receive is already fully developed.

Baal HaSulam said that the difference between a thief and a robber is that the robber has a bigger will to receive than the thief. Therefore, when a thief knows that the owner will see him in the act, the shame gives him strength to overcome and relinquish the theft. But the will to receive of a robber is so strong that nothing can disrupt him from carrying out his scheme. His desire and passion are so great that he does not consider anything and carries out his plan.

Now we can explain what we asked above about wanting to imply that he says, “Should one sin,” meaning which of those sins that are called, “sin,” as it is written, “of all the sins of man.” We should interpret what he says, “of those sins that are called, ‘sin,’” and then he brings evidence from the verse, “of all the sins of man.” What does “of all” mean? We should interpret that he is implying to the root from which all the sins come, namely the will to receive, with which all the actions in the world begin, and with which all the works are concluded. That is, we were given this desire to correct so it works in order to bestow. When the general will to receive is corrected in order to bestow, it will be called the “end of correction.”

This means that all the corrections we must exert in Torah and Mitzvot are only to correct the will to receive so it works in order to bestow, and then we will be rewarded with Dvekut [adhesion], and we will be able to attain the purpose of creation—to do good to His creations.

It follows that at the end of correction, when everything is corrected and there is nothing more to correct, everything should enter Kedusha. That is, even sins must enter Kedusha, or a part of the will to receive will be missing, left outside without correction. We said that the intimation that the verse, “of all the sins of man,” means everything that extends from this root. That is, we have to know that all sins extend from the rudimentary will to receive, as we know that this is the root of all the creatures. Therefore, if even one sin remains, since it extends from the root, which is the will to receive, it, too, must be corrected into working in order to bestow, or this deficiency will be apparent in the root, meaning in TzimtzumAleph [first restriction], which was done on the rudimentary will to receive so we will receive everything that exists in the thought of creation to do good to His creations in the Kelim [vessels] that have been corrected into working in order to bestow.

We can understand this through a depiction. Let us assume that His desire to do good to His creations is for one hundred kilograms of pleasure. Naturally, He had to prepare a Kli [vessel] with one hundred kilograms of deficiency. Otherwise, there is no place to put the one hundred kilograms of pleasure because there can be filling only in a place of lack. It follows that if we fill the Kelim [vessels], meaning deficiencies, and Kelim are left outside—meaning some of the Kelim that belong to the one hundred kilograms of deficiency are unclean and unfit to be filled with the abundance that belongs to them—the abundance that He wished to give, the one hundred kilograms of abundance, His desire is not fulfilled because some of the Kelim belong to the part of the abundance that still did not receive what belongs to them.

It follows that all the Kelim that emerged at the time of creation must enter Kedusha [holiness]. By this we will understand what the holy Zohar says, “The angel of death is destined to be a holy angel.” This is as said above, that since all the bad comes from the will to receive that the Creator created and then restricted, which is called “correction,” all of the one hundred kilograms of will to receive that He has created must be received through the correction called “receiving in order to bestow.” These discernments that we cannot correct before the end of correction are called Klipot [shells/peels] and Tuma’a [impurity], and Sitra Achra [other side], but at the end of correction all the Kelim must enter Kedusha for the abovementioned reason. Otherwise, there will be a lack in the abundance, since all the Kelim must receive the abundance that belongs to their share.

Now we can understand what is written, “of all the sins of man.” It pertains to the root of the sins, called “will to receive.” This is why it is written, “Should one sin and be guilty.” The meaning of the verse, “of all the sins of man,” is not sins between man and man specifically, as it is interpreted afterwards about the verse, “and be guilty.” It is as you say, “the guilt is returned to the Lord,” where “and be guilty” means that he will correct his works and will return the theft he has robbed, which implies specifically between man and man.

However, we should interpret that the root of all the sins is the will to receive in order to receive, which is what a person receives from the Creator, meaning from His domain, and lets everything into his own domain, which is called “theft.” That is, he extracts from the domain of the Creator although the Torah screams and says it is forbidden to receive into one’s own domain or it is considered having two domains—the Creator’s domain, and he takes the pleasures from the Creator’s domain into his own. It follows that he is not regarded as a thief but as a robber, for although the Creator sees him taking, his will to receive is so strong that he cannot resist it, which is why he is considered a robber and not a thief.

And what is his correction? He returns the theft that he has robbed, meaning repents and corrects so that all his works enter Kedusha. That is, he extends a desire that all his works will be in order to bestow. This is why he interprets “Should one sin and be guilty,” that “and be guilty” means correction.

Rabbi Yosi adds and says, “This means that what is written, ‘and returns,’ means returning by himself, since ‘and returns’ is not written as imperative, but rather ‘returns’ is precisely by himself. That is, there is ‘repentance from fear,’ when sins become for him as mistakes, and this is regarded as such although he returns the theft. However, this is still not regarded as voluntarily. Rather, since he still has fear, he returns the theft. But this is not regarded as “by himself,” meaning of his own volition, so we can say that he is happy with returning the theft. Rather, it is as though he has no choice.

Repentance from fear still does not correct the sin, since with repentance from fear, since become only as mistakes. Hence, there are Kelim that are still outside of Kedusha, meaning that the upper abundance cannot dress in them. Therefore, His desire, which was to do good to His creations, to bestow upon the lower ones, still has nowhere to clothe. It is as though there is a deficiency in the purpose.

Therefore, we were given a correction called “repentance from love.” At that time sins become for him as merits.” The Kelim that were as “sins,” which are desires to receive that belong to the upper abundance from the perspective of the purpose of creation, are unfit to receive the abundance. But when merits are made from these Kelim, they are fit for clothing the upper abundance, and then the completion of the goal, which is to benefit His creations, can come true to the extent of the abundance that He wanted to give them. Now all the Kelim that belong to the general will to receive that divided into several parts (for it is easier to correct smaller parts) have entered.

This is as the allegory that Baal HaSulam said concerning the correction of the tree of knowledge (Panim Masbirot p 56), about a king who wanted to send gold coins overseas to his son, but all his countryfolk were thieves, so he changed the gold coins into pennies and penny by penny join into a great amount, and by this everything will be corrected.

Inapoi la pagina 1986 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Inapoi la pagina 1986 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Concerning Joy

Article No. 19, Tav-Shin-Mem-Vav, 1985-86

The Mishnah says (Taanit, 26), “From the beginning of Av we diminish joy. From the beginning of Adar we increase joy. If he is deliberating with idol-worshippers, let him judge it on Adar.” We should understand the meaning of increasing joy and diminishing joy. After all, joy is a result of some reason that caused him joy, and we can only diminish or increase the reasons. Therefore, we should know which reason will bring us joy.

Our sages, who told us to increase joy, referred to joy of Kedusha [holiness]. Accordingly, we should consider to which reason they told us to refer so it would bring us joy of Kedusha. We should also understand what they said, “If he is deliberating with idol-worshippers, let him judge it on Adar.” After all, we are in the land of Israel, and there are several towns where there is not even one gentile. And even if we find a gentile in town, what should be the deliberation with him?

It seems that judging the idol-worshippers on Adar is a perpetual custom and not an incidental matter. That is, if there is a rare incident where Israel is deliberating with a gentile he will go and judge him on the month of Adar. Therefore, we need to understand to which idol-worshippers they are referring that they are deliberating with.

We see that there is an order of two manners in our prayers:

1) an order of songs and praises to the Creator,

2) an order of prayers and litanies.

We also see that the two are opposite. This is so because naturally, when someone asks one’s friend to give him something, the extent of the request depends on the extent of his need for it. If the thing he is asking his friend for is something that touches his heart and necessary, to the extent of the necessity for the matter he tries to do everything he can to obtain what he is seeking.

Accordingly, when a person prays to the Creator to grant his wish, he should see that his prayer is from the bottom of the heart, meaning to feel his deficiency. To the extent of his feeling his prayer can be more sincere. Thus, his prayer will not be as lip-service but rather from the bottom of the heart.

To feel his deficiency, he must see the truth, to see that he has a great lack and he is an empty Kli[vessel] as far as matters of Kedusha are concerned. When he feels that he is the worst person in the world, he can say that his prayer is honest because he feels that his deficiency is the greatest in the world and there is no one who is like him.

Opposite that is the second discernment in the order of our prayer, meaning psalms, songs, and praises. We see that usually, the amount of gratitude that one gives to another is measured by the benefit he has received from his friend. For example, when someone helps another obtain something small that he needed, the gratitude is small, as well.

But we see that if someone gives someone a job when jobs are hard to find, he has been jobless for months and is indebted to the grocery store, and the store owner has already told him he must stop selling groceries, he has given up on searching for loans to provide for his necessities, and he suddenly meets a person whom he wanted to ask for a loan, but that person offers him a job with good conditions and tells him, “Why look for loans? I’ll give you a job. I heard that you are trustworthy, so although I have many workers, I don’t have anyone I can trust. I will pay you well so you can pay your debts quickly, so why should you need a loan from me?”

We can picture the gratitude he would give to this person. He does not need to thank him verbally because his whole body thanks him, as it is written, “All my bones shall say.” If we picture a person who was sentenced to life imprisonment, and another person came and liberated him, what gratitude would all his organs give to his savior?

It follows that if one wishes to give high praise to the Creator so it becomes as “All my bones shall say, ‘Lord, who is like You, Who delivers the afflicted from him who is too strong for him,” then one should picture oneself as the happiest person in the world, if he wishes to give great praise to the Creator. Otherwise, if he feels that something is still missing, that he wants the Creator to help him, then the gratitude he gives to the Creator will not be as “All my bones shall say.”

Therefore, we see two complete opposites in the order of our prayer, which brings up the question, “What can one do when he sees that they are so remote from one another? Normally, we see the oppositeness in many things. One example is the order of lights that illuminate in the Kelim [vessels]. It is known that there is an inverse relation between Kelim and lights. In the Kelim the big and fine Kelim appear first. That is, Keter appears first and the Sefira [sin. of Sefirot] Malchut appears last. In the lights it is the opposite: the small ones appear first: first Malchut and finally Keter. It is known that when we speak from the perspective of the Kelim we say that the order is KHBZON, and when we speak from the perspective of the lights we say that the order is NRNHY.

Another example is that Baal HaSulam said that we see oppositeness in the order of man’s work. On the one hand, our sages said (Avot, Chapter 4), “Be very, very humble.” On the other hand they said, “And his heart was high in the ways of the Lord.” That is, if he really humbles himself before each and every one he will not be able to overcome those who mock his walking in the path of the Creator, since he humbles himself before everyone. Instead, at that time he should say, “And his heart was high in the ways of the Lord.” That is, he should not be impressed by anyone who tells him, “This work that you took upon yourself fits skillful and brave people, who are accustomed to overcoming obstacles and received good upbringing. That is, since they were little they have been accustomed to giving the work of the Creator the prime importance. But you are not like that. You should settle for being an important landlord, meaning see that your children learn Torah and the work of the Creator, and then you will be an important landlord and your daughters will marry disciples of Torah. It is inappropriate for you, middle aged man, to begin to walk in the path of the work that leads to Torah Lishma [for Her sake], and completely not for self-benefit. Get off this path and do not pine for matters beyond your level.”

At that time he has no choice but not to be impressed with them and keep the words of our sages, “Let him not be ashamed before the scoffers.” It follows that then he must go by the way of pride. But on the other hand, he must keep “Be very, very humble.” However, according to the rule, “There are no two opposites in one carrier,” how can both be in one person? There are many other examples of two opposites in the work of the Creator, but there can be two opposites in one carrier in two times, meaning one at a time.

The root of the matter is as it is written in the “Introduction to the Book of Zohar” (items 10-11), “How is it possible that the chariot of impurity and Klipot [shells/peels] would emerge from His holiness, since it is at the other end of His holiness?”

He says there: “This will to receive, which is the very essence of the souls by creation, is Tuma’a[impurity] and Klipot. This is so because the disparity of form in them would separate them from Him. And in order to mend that separation, which lies on the Kli [vessel] of the souls, He has created all the worlds and separated them into two systems, which are the four worlds ABYA of Kedusha, and opposite them the four worlds ABYA of Tuma’a. He imprinted the desire to bestow in the system of the ABYA of Kedusha, removed the will to receive for themselves from them, and placed it in the system of ABYA of Tuma’a.”

He also says there: “How will those two things, which are opposite in form from one another, be corrected? For this reason, the reality of this corporeal world was created, meaning a place where there is a body and a soul, and a time of corruption and a time of correction. For the body, which is the will to receive for itself, extends from its root in the Thought of Creation, through the system of the worlds of Tuma’a, and remains under the authority of that system for the first thirteen years. This is the time of corruption. Afterwards begins the time of correction, which is after thirteen years. By engaging in Torah and Mitzvot [commandments/good deeds], when he engages in order to bestow contentment upon his Maker, he begins to purify the will to receive for himself imprinted in him, and slowly turns it to be in order to bestow.”

It turns out that as soon as the creature is created, he consists of two opposites:

1. vessels of reception,
2. vessels of bestowal. There is no greater oppositeness than this. These two opposites come in one carrier, but one at a time, and it seems as though there is a middle line that contains both of them:

1. the will to receive,
2. the will to bestow.

The middle line contains both of them when the will to receive is included in the will to bestow, called “receiving in order to bestow.” It follows that the two forces are included in this middle line, meaning reception and bestowal together.

Accordingly, the answer to our question, “How can there be in man’s work complete wholeness and deficiency in utter lowliness in the same carrier?” is that this can be in two times. That is, one needs to divide the order of one’s work into two ways:

One way will be on the path of “right,” called “wholeness.” This is so because when one begins to turn, one should first turn to the right, called “wholeness,” and then to the left. It is so because man can walk specifically on two legs, whereas on one leg you cannot speak of walking.

“Right” means wholeness because when one comes to take upon oneself the work of the Creator, the order is that one should assume the burden of the kingdom of heaven “as an ox to the burden and as a donkey to the load.” The “ox” refers to the mind, called “ox,” form the verse, “Let the ox know its owner,” referring to faith above reason.

A “donkey” refers to the heart, called “donkey,” as in “and a donkey, its master’s crib,” referring to self-love. Therefore, when saying, “to work in order to bestow contentment upon one’s maker,” he regards it as a load, and he always wants to throw off his shoulders. He is always searching what he can eat from this work, meaning what pleasure his will to receive might derive.

When he takes upon himself this work he says, “I should see for myself, meaning always check if I am not deceiving myself that I am on the right path, that it is the proper one, meaning keeping Torah and Mitzvot because of the commandment of the Creator and not for any other reasons. However, I am keeping the words of our sages, who said, ‘One should always engage in Torah and Mitzvot, even if Lo Lishma [not for Her sake], since from LoLishma he will come to Lishma [for Her sake].’ Thus, why should I think whether I am keeping Torah and Mitzvot with all the intentions so that everything will be for the Creator?

“However, I have a great privilege that the Creator has given me a thought and desire to keep something in Torah and Mitzvot. According to the rule, with something important we do not regard the quantity but the quality. Rather, even if it is a small amount, if the quality is what matters, even something small of high quality is very important. For this reason, since the Creator has commanded us through Moses to keep Torah and Mitzvot, then I do not care how much I can keep it. Rather, even if I have the worst and foulest intentions, in the act I do observe as much as my body permits.

And although I am incapable of overcoming the desires of the body, I am still glad that at least I have the strength to keep the commandments of the Creator in some way because I believe that everything comes by Providence. That is, the Creator has given me the desire and strength to observe Torah and Mitzvot, and I thank Him for this because I see that not everyone have been given this privilege of observing the Mitzvot of the Creator. He should say that he cannot even value the greatness and importance of keeping the Creator’s commandment even without any intention.

We can compare it to a child who does not want to eat, who derives no pleasure from eating, so the parents force the child to eat whether he wants to or not. And although the child has no pleasure, in the end, even by coercion, it helps the child, as well, so he can live and grow. However, it would certainly be better if the child wanted to eat by himself, meaning if he enjoyed the food. But even without pleasure and completely by coercion it still benefits the child.

We should say likewise in serving the Creator. Even if we keep Torah and Mitzvot by coercion, meaning we force ourselves to keep and our bodies resist anything that is of Kedusha [holiness], still, the act he performs does its thing, and by this he can come to a state where he has a desire to observe. At that time, all the things he did are not in vain. Rather, everything he did enters Kedusha.

We can interpret this with what our sages said about the verse, “He will sacrifice it before the Lord according to his will” (Arachin, 21). “Our sages said, ‘Will sacrifice it’ indicates that he is forced. But it is written, ‘according to his will.’ How is this so? He is forced until he says, ‘I want.’”

This means that the words “before the Lord, according to his will” bewildered our sages. It means that everything he does with regard to bringing himself close to the Creator is not regarded as an act if he does not want to work for the Creator, which is called “according to the Lord’s will.” Instead, that person is still unable to do things to benefit the Creator, which means that his deeds are worthless, as though he has not done anything because they are still not according to the Creator’s will.

However, it is written, “He will sacrifice it.” This means that he is forced, meaning even by coercion. That is, when he does not want to work for the Creator it is still called “sacrifice.” But this is perplexing, since he does not want to sacrifice the offering to the Creator, so the beginning of the verse contradicts its end.

They said about this: “He is forced until he says, ‘I want.’” That is, this follows the rule that our sages said, “One should always engage in Torah and Mitzvot even Lo Lishma, since from Lo Lishma he comes to Lishma” (Pesachim 50b). This means that by subjugating himself each time although the body does not agree to work for the Creator because where he does not see self-gratification he cannot do a thing.

Still, he does not notice the body’s complaints and says to his body: “Know that even by force, you are doing the Creator’s commandments. It will not help you to resist the work. It is said that practical Mitzvot have the power to bring one to Lishma.” This is the meaning of “He is forced,” meaning that he forces himself and does not listen to any logic and reason that the body tries to explain to him, but tells it, “In the end he will achieve Lishma.” This is the meaning of “until he says, ‘I want.’” That is, from Lo Lishma we come to Lishma, which is called “I want.”

Therefore, each time he remembers while performing some act of Kedusha, great joy immediately awakens in him that he was rewarded with having some contact with matters that the Creator commanded him to do. Although he knows that everything he does is Lo Lishma, he is still profoundly happy since our sages have promised us that from Lo Lishma we come to Lishma.

He is even happier because our sages said, “He who repents from love, sins become for him as merits, and he who repents from fear, sins become for him as mistakes.” It follows that when he is rewarded with working Lishma, all the Mitzvot he had performed Lo Lishma will enter Kedusha and will be as important as though he had performed them Lishma.

Thus, even while he is still working Lo Lishma, it is as important to him as though he is working Lishma. That is, he thinks that everything he does is certainly more important than sins and are bound to be corrected into being good, and he regards everything he does, even the smallest thing, as a great Mitzva [commandment]. It is as our sages said (Avot, Chapter 2), “Be careful with a lesser commandment as with a greater one, for you do not know the reward for the commandments.”

For this reason, when he calculates the works he is doing, whose Mitzvot he is observing, and when he says some words of Torah, he tells himself, “Whose Torah am I learning?” And when he blesses for pleasure, such as before drinking or before eating bread, he thinks, “To whom am I speaking now?”

It turns out that then he is in utter wholeness, and that wholeness begets joy because at that time he is adhered to the Creator, just as he assumes that he is speaking to the Creator, who is good and does good. Naturally, he receives joy from the root, for the root of all creations is the Creator, who is called “the good who does good.”

Our sages said, “Good to him and does good to others.” This means that at that time he can believe that the Creator is doing good to him and to everyone. This means that then he can believe above reason that this is really so, even though he concludes with his external intellect that he does not see the good in completeness.

But now, through the calculations he does with his work in Torah and Mitzvot, when he is somewhat adhered to some extent to the Creator, he has the power to believe above reason that this is really so. Naturally, “truth will show its way.” The result of his thinking that now he is speaking to the Creator is a great awakening of joy, as it is written, “Majesty and splendor before Him, strength and joy are in His place.”

We should understand in relation to whom it was said that there is joy in His place. Certainly, all the names we mention are from the perspective of the creatures, meaning according to the perception of the creatures. However, in the Creator Himself, our sages said, “There is no thought or perception in Him at all.” Rather, everything is said only from the perspective of the creatures.

Therefore, this means that those who feel that they are standing before Him feel majesty and splendor, as well as those who think that they are standing in His place, since “place” means “equivalence of form.”

But there is another meaning, that interest is a mirror, as I heard from Baal HaSulam, that in the place one thinks, there one is. Thus, if a person thinks that he is standing and speaking with the King, then he is in the place where the King is present, and then he feels as it is written, “strength and joy are in His place.”

By this we can understand what we asked about what our sages said, “From the beginning of Adarwe increase joy.” We asked, “Why increase joy?” That is, joy is a result of some reason, so what is the reason that could evoke the reason to bring us joy?

According to the above, it pertains to increasing advancement on the right line, called “wholeness.” When a person is in a state of wholeness it is called “equivalence.” That is, the whole, which is the man, is now adhered to the Whole, as it is written “The blessed adhere to the blessed, and the cursed does not adhere to the blessed.” Therefore, if one is in a state of criticism, called “left line,” he is in a state of “cursed,” and then he is separated from the Whole. For this reason at that time he can feel only darkness and not light, for only light brings joy.

However, we should understand why specifically on the month of Adar we should increase joy, and why can’t we be on the way of the right all year long? We should reply to this that since the miracle of Purim was on the month of Adar, when the light of the end of correction illuminated, as it is written in The Gate of Intentions (The Study of the Ten Sefirot, Part 16, p 1813, item 220), “Therefore, in the future [end of correction], all the holy days will be cancelled but the scroll of Ester [Purim].” The reason is that there has never been such a great miracle, not on any Shabbat or on any good day.

For this reason, the preparation for such a great light should be joy, which is the preparation to greet an esteemed guest, which is the light of the end of correction. Hence, by preparing through increasing joy, we extend the light called “the days of feast and merriment.”

This follows the rule that is written in the holy Zohar: “The act below awakens the act above.” That is, according to the work of the lower ones, the work above awakens. This means that when the lower ones engage in joy, in the same manner they extend light of joy downward, as it is written (Esther, 9:21), “And Mordecai wrote, to oblige them on those days when the Jews rid themselves of their enemies, and it was a month which was turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday, that they should make them days of feasting and rejoicing,” by which they will extend the light of the end of correction that illuminated then.

We should discern concerning the extension of the joy. We said that the reason for this is that at that time a person thanks the Creator for bringing him closer. It follows that when he gives thanks, he engages in bestowal because he thanks and praises the Creator for giving him a thought and desire to have some contact with spirituality.

But now he does not want the Creator to give him anything. Therefore, he is not asking anything from the Creator, and now his only aim is to give thanks to the Creator. It follows that now he has Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator because he is engaging in bestowal. Thus, by this, joy and wholeness are drawn to him from the Dvekut because now he is adhered to the Whole one. This is the meaning of increasing joy by this.

This is not so when he engages in litany, for a prayer that is from the bottom of the heart is full of deficiencies, since to the extent of the sensation of lack so is his prayer deeper. It follows that then he cannot be happy. Thus, the reason for the gladness is when he engages in praise and gratitude and not when he engages in examining deficiencies.

According to the above we can interpret what our sages said, “If he is deliberating with idol-worshippers, let him judge it on Adar.” This means that there is deliberation with a foreigner as though it is customary that Israel deliberate with foreigners. Does this belong to people who engage in Torah and work, and who do not engage in any work or trade?

In the work, we should interpret that this refers to the idol-worshippers that there are in all of Israel, meaning in one body. Those people who want to walk in the path of the Creator, their bodies resist them. It is as our sages said about the verse, “There shall be no foreign God in you.” They said, “What foreign God is there in man’s body? It is the evil inclination.” This is called “idol-worshippers,” since it resists being Israel. This is regarded as deliberating. And then, on the month of Adar, when they were rewarded with the miracle and there was joy and merriment to the Jews because they feared the Jews, and it was turned into the opposite—that the Jews governed their enemies—for this reason on this month one can sentence the foreigner within him, and he will certainly succeed on this month, for it is regarded as “turned to the contrary,” as it is written, “And the Jews governed their enemies.”

We must remember that one deliberates with one’s idol-worshippers because each one argues, “It is all mine.” Israel argues that the body was created only to be Israel and a servant of the Creator, and not for self-love, while the foreigner within him argues, “It is all mine,” too, meaning that the whole body was created with a desire to receive because the body needs to see only to its will to receive. Why should it think about wanting to bestow? It shows several proofs that it is right because this is what everyone does.

That is, it tells him, “Go see what everyone is doing. Is there anyone who is concerned with others while his own needs have not been satisfied? There are very few people, not more than a handful, whose needs have been satisfied completely, so they began to see to others’ well-being. However, even then they watch very carefully that their concern for others will God forbid not blemish their self-love. But you are saying, ‘It is all mine,’ meaning to completely avoid thinking about self-love. Instead, you want to use all your energy to serve others, and you excuse your desire to work for the friends, which is called ‘love of others,’ by telling me that this is not the end, but that you think that by engaging in love of others you will be able to achieve love of the Creator. That is, you want to be completely annulled before the Creator. But then, what shall become of the body, if you want to give your whole body to the Creator, to completely annul before Him? You tell me, how can I agree to this? This is very difficult to grasp. Therefore, I am forced to argue, ‘It is all mine,’ and not let you move one step forward.”

In that state, there is a big war because each one says that he is right. The Israel in him argues that since the Creator created us with the intention that His will is to benefit His creations, He certainly knows what is good for the creatures. That is, He understood that only by doing everything in order to bestow contentment upon the Creator they will have the strength to receive the highest degrees, called “revelation of Godliness,” which dresses in the inner mind and inner feeling in the heart. Thus, only in this way they will be able to receive all the delight and pleasure that the Creator wanted to give to the creatures.

This would not be so if they received with vessels of reception. Besides causing separation, there is the matter of being content with less. That is, we must believe what is written in the holy Zohar, that there is a faint light that shines in the Klipot [shells/peels] to sustain them. That is, all the pleasures in the corporeal world are as faint light compared to the delight and pleasure that is found in Kedusha[holiness].

In other words, even a small degree of Kedusha, such as Nefesh de Assiya, contains more pleasure than all the worldly pleasures. If one were to receive the abundance in the desire to receive for one’s own benefit, he would settle for this and would not be able to go and attain higher degrees because for self-gratification, this illumination of Nefesh de Assiya is satisfactory, and he would have no need to add anything to the pleasures he was enjoying.

However, when one is taught to work in order to bestow contentment upon one’s Maker, one cannot say, “I settle for what I have been granted,” since everything he receives is to benefit the Creator. Therefore, he cannot say, “I have enough, since I pleased the Creator by receiving a little upper light and it pleases the Creator so I do not want to receive anymore.”

It is forbidden to say, “I have enough because I already pleased Him by receiving this small illumination from Him.” Instead, one should try to bestow more and more contentment upon the Creator each and every time. And since each joy above is when the purpose of creation, which is to do good to His creations, actually reaches the lower ones—and this is what pleases above—hence, on the month of Adar, when the time of the miracle awakens—as it is written, “and it was turned into the opposite, that the Jews governed their enemies”—the time is ripe to awaken the foreigner within him. It is as our sages said (Berachot 5), “One should always vex the good inclination over the evil inclination,” as it was said, “be angry but do not sin.” RASHI interprets “vexing the good inclination” to mean making war with the evil inclination.

Here it means that on the month of Adar he can defeat the evil inclination, since then, when there was the miracle from above, it is as our sages said (Shabbat 88), “They observed and received.” They observed what they already received. RASHI interprets, “What Rabba said, that the generation received it in the days of Ahasuerus, was because of the love of the miracle that was done to them.”

But on the month of Av, the time of the ruin of the Temple, when we should mourn it, then the meaning of what our sages said “diminishing joy,” is the way in which we engage on the month of Adar—in the right, in order to awaken the miracle that appeared on the month of Adar. It is as our sages said, “For the love of the miracle they observed and received.”

But on the month of Av, when we must mourn the ruin of the Temple, we must work on the left line, meaning criticize our actions, that we must be in the path of Kedusha, which is in order to bestow, and how one is remote from bestowal.

When one thinks about this, he is in a state of remoteness from Kedusha and is immersed in self-love, where his whole basis for engaging in Torah and Mitzvot is in order to satisfy the will to receive with every possible satisfaction.

Therefore, when considering one’s lowliness he can awaken the pain of the ruin of Kedusha that there is in each and every one. And then the verse, “All who mourn Jerusalem is rewarded with seeing the comfort of Jerusalem” comes true.

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