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He who Hardens His Heart

Article No. 20, Tav-Shin-Mem-Hey, 1984-195

It is written in The Zohar (item 186): “Rabbi Yitzhak said, ‘We did not find anyone who hardened his heart before the Creator as Pharaoh.’ Rabbi Yosi, said, ‘But Sihon and Og also hardened their hearts.’ He replied, ‘This is not so. They hardened their hearts against Israel, but they did not harden their hearts against the Creator, as Pharaoh hardened his heart against Him, for he saw His might and did not repent.’”

We should understand the difference between not hardening their hearts before the Creator, or hardening their hearts against Israel. After all, all the hatred that the nations feel toward Israel is only because they are the Creator’s people, as our sages said (Shabbat, 89), “What is Mt. Sinai? It is that Sinaa [hatred] came down to the idol-worshippers.”

To return to the topic, meaning concerning the hatred of Israel: Pharaoh hated the people of Israel and wanted to enslave them. Moses came as a messenger of the Creator but he wouldn’t listen and said, “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice?” Sihon and Og also hated Israel, but what is the difference with respect to Israel? The reason why they hate Israel. Did Sihon and Og harden their hearts because the people of Israel was unimportant, and this is why they hated them? Or did they harden their hearts against the Creator, that the Creator was unimportant in their eyes, and this is why they hated Israel? In that case, what is the difference with respect to Israel?

We should interpret the above words of The Zohar in the work. We need to know that there are two obstructers standing opposite a person and not letting him cross the barrier and achieve love of the Creator, since man is born with a desire to receive for himself and cannot do anything without a profit. That is, one can relinquish self-reception in order to bestow something upon someone if this gives him emotional satisfaction. In that case he can relinquish self-reception.

For example, a person can work for an important person. If, say, the ADMOR of Lubavitch comes to the airport with a suitcase, gives it to one of his followers, and gives him 100 dollars for his work. Certainly, the follower will not want to receive the pay from the rabbi and will give it back to him. If they rabbi should ask him, “Why don’t you want to receive it? Did I pay you too little for the work? If I had given an ordinary porter 10 dollars he would have been happy; why don’t you want to take it?” The follower would reply, “My privilege of serving the rabbi is worth to me more than any fortune in the world that the rabbi might give me.”

We therefore see that for an important person, a person can work without any reward. For this reason, when one comes to engage in Torah and Mitzvot [commandments] in order to bestow, a person can relinquish self-love for the sake of the Creator. At that time, what does the obstructer to the work of the Creator do so that one will not be able to walk on the path of the Creator? He does one thing: He does not let a person depict the greatness and importance of the Creator. It follows that all the strength that the Sitra Achra [other side] has is against the Creator. He tells him, “I know you are very powerful, meaning you can overcome your lusts, unlike weak-minded and softhearted people. You are the strongest of the strong. However, the reason why you are not walking on the path of truth is that the goal is not so important to you, to make you annul yourself for it. With this force it obstructs him from achieving the goal.

This is what The Zohar says in the name of Rabbi Yitzhak: “We did not find anyone who hardened his heart before the Creator as Pharaoh.” That is, he did not appreciate the Creator and said, “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice?” This is the first obstructer.

The second obstructer is that when one sees that he has overcome his arguments, goes above reason, and does not regard what it tells him, then he comes with a complaint against Israel. That is, one who wants to walk on the path of the Creator is called Yashar-El [straight to the Creator], which is directly to the Creator. This means that he wants all the actions that he does to rise straight to the Creator, and does not want to have any other intention.

For this reason, what does the other obstructer do? He degrades the Israel in him and tells him, “The Israel in you is very weak, both in skill and in strength to overcome. You have a weak character, and this way you want to go—where all the works are only for the Creator—can be demanded from an Israel who has all the required qualities, namely good education, skills, and courage to fight the evil in him. He can walk on this path, and not you.”

Thus, by what does he obstruct him? He no longer speaks to him about the importance of the goal, as with Pharaoh’s argument, who disputed the importance of the goal. Rather, he tells him that the goal is very important, but “You are not important enough to be able to walk on such a lofty path, so walk on the path of the general public, and you do not need to be exceptional. Only this way is suitable for you.”

Likewise, we find in The Zohar (Shlach, item 63) concerning the spies: “‘And they returned from touring the land.’ ‘They returned’ means that they returned to the bad side, returned from the path of truth, saying, ‘What will we get out of it? To this day we have not seen good in the world. We have toiled in Torah and the house is empty. Who will be awarded that world? Who will come and be in it? It would have been better had we not toile so. We labored and learned in order to know the part of that world, as you advised us. ‘It is also flowing with milk and honey,’ that upper world is good, as we know in the Torah, but who can be rewarded with it? ‘However, the people … are strong,’ meaning the people that has been rewarded with that world is strong, not considering the rest of the world at all—to engage in it, to have great wealth—who can do so and be rewarded with it? ‘However, the people … are strong.’ ‘The rich man answers roughly, ‘and we also saw the descendants of the giant there,’ meaning you need a body as strong and as mighty as a lion, since the Torah weakens man’s strength.”

It follows that the argument of the spies, according to the interpretation of The Zohar, is that Israel is unimportant, as we explained that it is similar to the argument of the second obstructer, meaning that all the hardening is against Israel.

By that we can interpret the difference between Pharaoh’s argument, who hardened his heart against the Creator, and the argument of Sihon and Og, who hardened their hearts against Israel. Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice,” meaning that all his strength was to lessen the importance of the Creator, as it was said, that he is the first obstructer. Sihon and Og, however, hardened their hearts against Israel, meaning to lessen the importance of Israel, which corresponds to the second obstructer.

To this, meaning to all those arguments, there is no other tactic but to walk on the path of faith above reason, disregard their arguments, and trust in the Creator that He can help everyone and there is no force that can resist the power of the Creator, so we should trust in the Creator to help.

We find such as this in The Zohar (Beshalach, item 187): “Rabbi Yehuda said, ‘Rabbi Yitzhak said, ‘Pharaoh was wiser than all his sorcerers. …In their entire side he did not see that Israel would have redemption… And Pharaoh did not think that there is another tie of faith that governs all the forces of the Sitra Achra. This is why he hardened his heart.’’” It follows from the words of The Zohar that Pharaoh means within reason, that it seems irrational that they would be able to exit their authority, unless through faith above reason, for this power cancels all the powers in the world.

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Concerning the Debate between Jacob and Laban

Article No. 11, Tav-Shin-Mem-Hey, 1984-195

We see that the debate between Jacob and Laban was different from the debate between Jacob and Esau. With Jacob and Laban, it is written, (Genesis, 31): “And Laban replied and said to Jacob: ‘The daughters are my daughters, and the sons are my sons, and the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine.’” With Jacob and Esau, it is written (Genesis, 33), “And Esau said, ‘I have plenty, my brother; let what you have be yours.’”

We should understand why Laban claimed that everything was his and Esau said to the contrary, “Let what you have be yours.”

Baal HaSulam explained it in this way: It is known that there is the grip of the Klipot [shells/peels], and there is the suckling of the Klipot. He said that a grip means that the Klipa [sin. of Klipot] grips him and does not let him do anything in Kedusha [holiness].

For example, when a person needs to rise before dawn and go to the synagogue to engage in Torah, the Klipa comes and tells him, “Why are you tormenting yourself? You’re tired; it’s cold outside,” and other such arguments of the inclination that it is not worthwhile to get up and engage in work. He replies to it, “As you say, but it is worthwhile to engage in this world in order to be rewarded with the next world.” Then the evil inclination replies to him: “You think that you will have the next world in return for your labor in this world. This is possible if a person engages in Torah and Mitzvot[commandments] for the Creator. But I know that you are doing everything not for the Creator. Therefore, whom are you serving? Only me.” With this allegory we can understand his words. This is the meaning of the grip of the Klipa, which does not let him engage in Torah and Mitzvot.

This was Laban’s argument: “The daughters are my daughters … and all that you see is mine.” That is, you are working for me and not for the Creator, so you cannot hope to have the next world. Hence, why trouble yourself for nothing? With this force she grips a person and he cannot exit her influence and do anything against her will. This was Laban’s argument, because he thought that with this argument he would have the strength to grip him and he would be unable to engage in Torah and Mitzvot.

But once he overcame Laban’s argument and said, “Not true, I do engage for the Creator, but I must believe that you were sent to me with all the just arguments only to veer me off from Kedusha. But I want simply to serve the Creator, and you have no grip on my Torah and Mitzvot. This is why I overcome your and go and engage in Torah and Mitzvot, and you have no foothold in me at all.”

At that time the Klipa approaches in a different way. She tells him, “Look, is there anyone else like you, who can overcome the evil inclination? Look at the lowliness of the rest of the people; they have no power to overcome, while you, thank God, are a strongest among men. It is certainly not good for you to join them.” At that time all his engagement falls into the Klipa because she admits him into pride.

At that time, one should overcome and tell the Klipa: “Not true, I am no better than other people. Everything I did in Torah and Mitzvot was not for the Creator; it was all for you, so now I am in a state that is as our sages said, ‘He who learns Torah Lo Lishma [not for Her sake] would be better off if his placenta had been turned inside out on him.’ So now I am worse than the rest of the people.’” This was Jacob’s argument when he said to Esau, “‘Take my gift,’ and I want to begin to engage in Torah and Mitzvot anew, and until now it is as though I never did anything for the Creator.”

But what does it say? “And Esau said, ‘I have plenty, my brother; let what you have be yours.’” He did not want to receive from him until after several efforts and great exertion. Then, “And he took from him,” as it is written, “He pleaded with him and he took.”

It follows that here, meaning after the fact, the matter was overturned. Laban’s argument, who said, “All that you see is mine,” means that everything belongs to the Klipa. Here Jacob claims that he has sent everything to him as a gift. That is, he is saying that it is a possession of the Klipa. But what Jacob claimed with Laban was that the act comes first. Jacob argued that everything belongs to the Kedusha, and not to the Klipa. Now Esau is claiming it, as it is written, “let what you have be yours.”

Concerning the verse, “The camp that is left will escape,” RASHI interpreted that he had prepared himself for three things: for a gift, for a prayer, and for war. That is, two things belong to Esau, gift and war, and one thing belongs to the Creator, a prayer.

In the work we should interpret that all three things refer to the Creator. It is as Baal HaSulam said about the verse, “Behold, there is a place with Me, and you shall stand on the rock” (Exodus, 33), that Moses said to the Creator, “Show me Your glory.” To that came the reply, “And the Lord said, ‘Behold, there is a place with Me.’” He interprets ETY [with Me] to be an acronym for Emuna [faith], Tefillah [prayer], Yegia [labor].

He said that to be rewarded with the glory of the Creator one must believe in the Creator, then pray to the Creator to bring him closer to Him. Afterwards one must labor to subdue his inclination and want to annul himself for the sake of the Creator. After these three actions he is rewarded with the glory of the Creator. This is the reply that the Creator gave to Moses concerning what Moses said to the Creator, “Show me Your glory.”

In the same way we should interpret what RASHI interpreted, that he prepared himself for a gift, for a prayer, and for war. “For war” means the war of the inclination; a prayer means that the Creator will bring him closer, so as to achieve his completeness—the degree he should achieve. A gift means faith, for one who believes in someone, this is regarded as giving, as it is written about Abraham, “And he believed in the Lord and He regarded it to him as righteousness” (Genesis, 15). RASHI interpreted that the Creator regarded it for Abram as a merit and righteousness for the faith that he had had in Him.

It therefore follows that all three things—gift, prayer, and war—are with the intention that with these three things he will defeat Esau. Also, all of these three things are between man and the Creator. We should not say that only prayer is between man and the Creator, but gift and war refer to Esau. Rather, he attributes everything to the Creator.

But the main thing we should know is what is the discernment of Esau we must correct. It is known that opposite Kedusha there is Klipa. In general, it is called “the Klipa of Esau.” However, there are many degrees in the Klipa, and each discernment has its own name. Kedusha, too, has many discernments, and each discernment has its own name.

In general, Kedusha is called Sefirot and Partzufim [pl. of Partzuf], and worlds. And in general, Kedusha means “in order to bestow,” while Tuma’a [impurity] means “in order to receive,” which is self-love.

When a person observes Torah and Mitzvot in order to receive this world or the next world in return, these two discernments are considered Lo Lishma. Only one who observes Torah and Mitzvot because “He is Great and ruling,” meaning because of the greatness and importance of the Creator, this is called Lishma (see The Book of Zohar, item 190). This is called “in order to bestow and not to receive any reward for his work,” and it is called “pure work.”

Work in order to bestow can only be to the extent that one values the receiver of one’s work. At that time one has the motivation. But if one cannot increase the importance of the one he serves, he has no energy to work. This is so because we see that in nature, the little one annuls itself before the great one as a candle before a torch. However, all the great work is to extol the receiver of the work, meaning to recognize His importance. If he has nothing with which to revere Him within reason, then our work is as Baal HaSulam said when he interpreted the verse, “Here is a place with Me,” that the Aleph of ETY [with Me] implies faith above reason.

It follows that the essence of man’s work is to work above reason, to appreciate the Creator. In general, all the creatures feel the Kedusha as Shechina [Divinity] in the dust. This is why it is said in all the books that every person should aim, prior to engaging in Torah and Mitzvot, to raise the Shechina from the dust. There is no point working on the little one annulling itself before the great one, for this is natural for the little one to annul before a great one. Rather, man’s work is only to exert to recognize the greatness and importance of the Creator.

In fact, a person understands that he needs to work for everything he feels he needs, except for the greatness and importance of the Creator. Here, we do not understand that this is all we need.

We can interpret this with regard to the verse, “The righteous has perished and no one notices.” The Creator is called “righteous,” as it is written, “The Lord is the righteous.” He has lost His importance and no one notices that we need to work in order to acquire His importance.

When a person feels somewhat elated, he understands that it is only worthwhile to work for spirituality. We should say that the reason is that he feels the importance of spirituality to the extent that it is worthwhile to exert for spirituality and not for corporeality because at that time corporeality loses its value for him, and spirituality is valued.

Therefore, at that time he decides that only spirituality is worth working for, and not corporeality. It turns out that all the ascents and descents do not refer to man, but to the Kedusha. That is, sometimes the value of Kedusha is high, meaning it has become more important to him, and sometimes the value of Kedusha is down and so unappreciated that it is not worthwhile to even think about it.

Concerning the little one annulling before the great one, we found that it is said (Yalkut Hadash, Chapter 1) that after the Creator promoted Abraham’s reputation, since everyone saw Abraham’s greatness, Pharaoh gave Sarah a girl who was his daughter, to be a servant in Abraham’s house. Although a servant is a very inferior degree, since at that time servants and maids had no rights of humans at all. They were as beasts. Still, he gave away his daughter to be Sarah’s maid and appeased her by saying, “My daughter, it is better for you to be a servant in Blessed Abraham’s house than to be a queen in my house.”

The difference between a person doing the holy work for a reward or because he wants to serve the king because of His importance and greatness is that if one is working in corporeality to obtain a corporeal reward, we see that if a person has a way to be rewarded without working so many hours, if such a thing is possible he promptly chooses this way, since man loves rest and relinquishes the pleasure of rest in order to be paid.

Therefore, if he can find a way not to have to labor, he regards this as happiness. But one who works because of the greatness of the King, and his pleasure is his great privilege of serving the king, it cannot be said that he will not work and still be paid, since his reward is the service of the king. This is a clear sign by which one sees the true purpose of his work—whether it is for a reward or because of the greatness of the Creator.

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Come unto Pharaoh – 1

Article No. 18, Tav-Shin-Mem-Hey, 1984-195

“Come unto Pharaoh.” This is perplexing. Should it not have said, “Go unto Pharaoh”? The Zoharexplains (Bo, item 36), “But He allowed Moses into rooms within rooms, to one high sea monster. …When the Creator saw that Moses was afraid … the Creator said, ‘Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh King of Egypt, the great monster that lies in the midst of his rivers.’ The Creator had to wage war against him, and no other, as you say, ‘I the Lord,’ and they explained, ‘I, and no emissary.’” It follows that “Come” means both of us together.

To interpret this in the work of the Creator, we first have to know what is our demand for engaging in Torah and Mitzvot [commandments]. That is, what are we asking in return for it. The reward should be clear—to understand that it is worthwhile for us to relinquish bodily pleasures if we understand that this is what interferes with our achieving the goal, which is our reward—to achieve the sublime goal through our engagement in Torah and Mitzvot, meaning that the goal is a reward for relinquishing corporeal pleasures.

Therefore, we should know that the main reward we want for keeping Torah and Mitzvot is Dvekut[adhesion] with the Creator, which is equivalence of form, as in “and to cleave unto Him.” It is as our sages said (Baba Batra, 16), “The Creator has created the evil inclination, He has created for it the Torah as a spice.” This is the Kli [vessel] in which we can receive the purpose of creation, called “doing good to His creations,” which is called “the revelation of His Godliness to His creatures in this world,” as it is written in the essay, Matan Torah [“The Giving of the Torah”].

It is known that the heart of the work is in making the Kli. But the filling, which is the abundance poured into the Kli, comes from the upper one, which is His desire to benefit His creations. Certainly, from His perspective, nothing prevents Him from giving to us, and all the deficiencies we feel are because we haven’t the Kelim [vessels] to receive the abundance, since our Kelim come from the shattering. This is so because due to the breaking of the vessels that occurred in the world of Nekudim, the Klipot [shells/peels] emerged, which receive in order to receive, for in spirituality, breaking is similar to breaking a vessel in corporeality. With a physical vessel, if it is broken and you pour into it some liquid, the liquid pour out. Likewise, in spirituality, if a thought of will to receive for oneself enters the Kli, the abundance pours out to the external ones, meaning outside of Kedusha[holiness].

Kedusha means “for the Creator.” Anything outside of “for the Creator” is called Sitra Achra [other side], namely the other side of Kedusha. This is why we say that Kedusha means to bestow, and Tuma’a [impurity] means to receive.

For this reason, we, who were born after the breaking, desire only to receive. Therefore we cannot be given abundance, for it will all certainly go to the side of the Sitra Achra.

This is the only reason why we are far from receiving the delight and pleasure that the Creator has prepared for us, for everything that He may give us will not stay with us, but will be lost, as our sages said, “Who is a fool? He who loses what he is given.” This means that the root of the reason we lose it is that we are fools.

But why must a fool lose it and a wise keeps what he is given? We should interpret that a fool is one who remains with his nature, which is self-love, and does not work on tactics to be able to exit the will to receive. Although there are many ways and tactics to exit one’s nature, he remains as naked as on the day he was born, without another clothing, a clothing known as “the will to bestow,” for with a clothing of bestowal he can dress the delight and pleasure he should receive.

However, sometimes a person begins the work of bestowal and explains to the body that this is the whole purpose of the work—to receive vessels of bestowal. However, after all his arguments with the body, the body tells him, “You cannot change the nature that the Creator has created. And since creation is regarded as ‘existence from absence,’ it is only in the form of desire to receive, so how dare you say that you can change the nature that the Creator has created?”

It was said about this, “Come unto Pharaoh,” meaning we will go together. I will go with you so that I will change the nature, and all I want is that you will ask Me to help you change your nature from a desire to receive into a desire to bestow, as our sages said (Sukkah, 52), “Man’s inclination overpowers him every day, and were it not for the Creator’s help, he would not have overcome it.”

However, we should understand why the Creator needs him to ask of Him. This is understandable with flesh and blood, who want the honor of being asked, so as to know that he has helped him. But how can such a thing be said about the Creator? However, the rule, “there is no light without a Kli,” means that it is impossible to give to someone a filling if he has no desire. As long as there is no desire for something, if you give him, he will have no taste for it. Therefore, he will not be able to appreciate it and will not keep it from being stolen.

That is, there are people who do understand the importance of the matter and will take it from him. This is why a person should ask for the Creator’s help, so that if he is given some illumination from above he will know how to keep it from the external ones stealing it from him, for they do know the value of any illumination of Kedusha.

For this reason, when a person asks of the Creator to help him—and a true request begins precisely when one sees that a person is unable to help himself—then he knows for certain that there is no other choice but to ask the Creator to help him. Otherwise, he will remain separated from Kedushaand will have no way out of the state of self-love. Therefore, when the Creator helps him, he already knows it is a valuable asset that must be guarded carefully so the external ones do no take it.

Likewise, the ARI says (The Study of the Ten Sefirot, Part 7, p 495), “This is the meaning of the pursuit of the evil inclination and Sitra Achra to make the righteous sin and to cling to Kedusha. It is because they have no vitality other than through them. When the good and Kedusha increase, their lives proliferate. Hence, from now on do not wonder why the evil inclination chases man so as to make him sin.”

Thus, to keep from losing what he is given, one must first make great efforts, for something that comes to a person through labor causes him to keep the thing and not lose it. But during the exertion, when a person sees that the work is still far from finished, he sometimes escapes the campaign and falls into despair. At that time he needs great strengthening, to believe that the Creator will help him, and the fact that help has not arrived is because he has not given the required quantity and quality of labor for preparing the deficiency in order to receive the filing, as it is said (“Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot,” item 18), “And if one practices Torah and fails to remove the evil inclination from himself, it is either that he has been negligent in giving the necessary labor and exertion in the practice of Torah, as it is written, ‘I have not labored but found, do not believe,’ or perhaps one did put in the necessary amount of labor, but has been negligent in the quality.”

Therefore, we should pay attention to “Come unto Pharaoh” and believe through the worst possible states, and not escape the campaign, but rather always trust that the Creator can help a person and give him, whether one needs a little help or a lot of help.

In truth, one who understands that he needs the Creator to give him a lot of help, because he is worse than the rest of the people, is more suitable for his prayer to be answered, as it is written, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit.”

Therefore, one should not say that he is unfit for the Creator to bring him closer, but that the reason is that he is idle in his work. Instead, one should always overcome and not let thoughts of despair enter his mind, as our sages said (Berachot, 10), “Even if a sharp sword is placed on his neck he should not deny himself of mercy,” as it was said (Job, 13), “Though He slay me, I will hope for Him.”

We should interpret the “sharp sword placed on his neck” to mean that even though one’s evil, called “self-love,” is placed on his neck and wants to separate him from Kedusha by showing him that it is impossible to exist this authority, he should say that the picture he sees is the truth.

However, “He should not deny himself of mercy,” for at that time he must believe that the Creator can give him the mercy, meaning the quality of bestowal. That is, by himself, it is true that one cannot exit the authority of self-reception. But from the perspective of the Creator, when the Creator helps him, of course He can bring him out. This is the meaning of what is written, “I am the Lord your God, who took you out from the land of Egypt to be your God.”

This is what we say in the Shema reading—which is assuming of the burden of the kingdom of heaven—that we must know that the Creator is the one who brings one out of the authority of reception, called “separation,” and admits one into Kedusha. At that time, “to be your God” is kept true, for then one is regarded as “people of Israel,” and not as “people of the earth.”

Our sages said about it (Pesachim, 118): “Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Levi said, ‘When the Creator said to Adam HaRishon, ‘Thorns and thistles it shall grow for you,’ his eyes teared. He said to Him, ‘Master of the world, will I and my donkey eat from the same trough?’ Because He had told him, ‘By the sweat of your brow you will eat bread,’ his mind was promptly eased.’”

However, we should understand Adam HaRishon’s argument, who inquired about the Creator’s action, why he deserved to eat from the same trough as the donkey. This is a just complaint. The evidence of this is that the Creator advised him to eat bread. Were this not a just complaint, the Creator would not have accepted his argument. This argument, saying, “Will I and my donkey eat from the same trough,” is difficult to understand. What is his advantage? After all, our sages said (Sanhedrin, 38), “Our sages said, ‘The man was born on the eve of Shabbat [Sabbath] so that should he become arrogant, he will be told, ‘the mosquito came before you in the work of creation.’’”

Accordingly, if a mosquito came before him, then what is the complaint about eating from the same trough as the donkey? However, we should interpret that after the sin he fell into self-love. It follows that he has become similar to a donkey, who understands nothing but self-love. This is the meaning of “His eyes teared and he said, ‘Will I and my donkey eat from the same trough,” meaning from the same discernment of self love?

This is why he was given the advice, “By the sweat of your brow you will eat bread.” Bread is regarded as man’s food. That is, through labor in “By the sweat of your brow you will eat bread,” which is mean’s food, he emerges from being “the people of the earth,” and is then called “the people of Israel,” which is Yashar-El [straight to the Creator].

But Egypt—which was the people of Israel in exile, for Egypt is called “a nation that is akin to a donkey”—means that the aim is only for self-love. For this reason, at that time the salvation to Israel was that the Creator took them out of Egypt. This is the meaning of needing to intend upon the acceptance of the burden of the kingdom of heaven, “I am the Lord your God, who took you out from the land of Egypt, to be your God,” for precisely by the force of God can we come out of Egypt and be rewarded with “to be your God.”

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I Am the First and I Am the Last

Article No. 14, Tav-Shin-Mem-Hey, 1984-195

The verse says, “I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me.” It is known that the order of the work on the way to achieve the goal of Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator is to work in order to bestow. However, according to what man has received, the order of the work with regard to education is actually Lo Lishma [not for Her sake], as Maimonides said (Hilchot Teshuva, Chapter 10), “The sages said, ‘One should always engage in Torah, even in Lo Lishma, since from Lo Lishmahe comes to Lishma [for Her sake].’ Therefore, when teaching little ones, women, and uneducated people, they are taught to work only out of fear and to be rewarded. Until they gain knowledge and acquire much wisdom, they are taught this secret bit by bit, and they are accustomed to this matter peacefully until they attain Him, know Him, and serve Him with love.”

Therefore, when a person wants to walk on the way to the goal of Dvekut with the Creator, which means to aim that everything will be in order to bestow, he must first have a deficiency, meaning dissatisfaction with the work in Lo Lishma.

At that time he begins to search for another order in the work, since the engagement in Torah and Mitzvot [commandments] he was used to was on the basis of the will to receive, called Lo Lishma. But now that he needs to replace his entire basis on which he built his entire life’s order, it depends on the extent to which he sees that the state of Lo Lishma is the wrong way, does not let him rest, and he will not be at peace until he comes out of that state into a state of Lishma.

However, who is making him feel, while he is in the state of Lo Lishma, that this is still not the right way and he is still far from Dvekut with the Creator? When he looks at the rest of the people, they go by this path, so why does he need to be different? Another difficulty is that when he looks at the rest of the people he sees people who are more talented and more capable in the work than him. But they settle for the order of the work they had received when they were little, when the instructors taught them to work only in Lo Lishma, as in the above words of Maimonides. And then he sees about himself that although “a sorrow shared is a sorrow halved,” he cannot accept the state of Lo Lishma. At that time comes the question: “If I am really less talented and less capable in the work, where did I get this restlessness in the state of Lo Lishma?”

To this comes the answer: “I am the first.” That is, the Creator has given him this deficiency so he will not be able to continue on this path. One should not think that he has obtained this by his own wisdom. Rather, the Creator says, “I am the first,” meaning “I have given you the first push, so you will begin to walk on the path of truth. By giving you a deficiency of feeling that with the respect to the truth, you are deficient.”

Then begins the work that he begins to wait for a state where he repels self-love, and all his works are only in order to bestow. At that time he must dedicate to it all the thoughts and resources at his disposal, as in “Everything that you find within your power to do, that do.”

Afterwards, when he is rewarded with Dvekut with the Creator, he thinks that it is through his labor in Torah and Mitzvot, and by overcoming his self-love. He thinks that he has been rewarded with it only through his work, that he was very persistent, and only he had the strength to make the most of his opportunities, which gave him this riches and he was rewarded what he was rewarded.

The verse says about that: “And I am the last. That is, As I was the first, giving you the deficiency, I am also the last, meaning I have given you the filling of the deficiency.” The deficiency is called the Kli [vessel], and the filling is called “the light.” Since there is no light without a Kli, the Kli is made first, and then the abundance is poured into the Kli. This is why the Creator first gives the Kli, which is called “I am the first,” and then He gave the abundance, called “I am the last.”

By this will understand the difference between work that a person does in corporeal work, in some factory, and a worker doing spiritual work. Ordinarily, a worker who is not working does not receive reward. However, he is also not punished if he is not working.

Conversely, in spiritual work, one who is not working, who is not keeping Torah and Mitzvot, is punished, as our sages said (Avot, Chapter 5), “The world was created with ten utterances. What does that teaches us? It could have been created with one utterance. However, to avenge the wicked, who are destroying the world, it was created with ten utterances, and to give a good reward to the righteous, who are sustaining the world, it was created in ten utterances.

This has already been explained in previous articles, but the gist of the matter is that “to avenge the wicked” means that there will be the suffering that the wicked suffer in their lives. This means that when he looks at his own wicked, meaning at his own will to receive, if he sees that everything he does for the will to receive does not satisfy him in this life, and to the extent that he sees and feels the unpleasantness of this life, by these he receives a Kli and deficiency for spirituality. This is so because the unpleasantness that one feels in one’s life pushes him to search for a place where he can derive life.

It therefore follows that the punishment that he suffers for taking the wrong path is not regarded as vengeance for not walking on the path of the Creator, regarded as having to work for the Creator. On the contrary, it is assistance—he is being pushed toward happiness and bounty.

It therefore follows that the punishment he sees that the wicked are suffering, he needs to feel the suffering that the wicked suffer. This is the meaning of what is written (Psalms, 94), “Happy is the man whom You chasten, Lord.” This means that the suffering he feels when he is marching the wrong path is regarded as the Creator giving him a Kli, which is “I am the first.”

However, He does not let anyone feel suffering when walking on the path of Lo Lishma. Rather, only “He whom the Lord loves He admonishes.” This is regarded as feeling the taste of the wicked, who are immersed in self-love, and this pushes him from the path of falsehood to the path of truth.

It follows that when a worker is not working in corporeality, he is not paid, but he is not punished for not wanting to work. But this is not so in spirituality: If he is idle in the work, he is punished, as our sages said, “to avenge the wicked,” where it is not regarded as being punished, but as being elevated to walk on the right path. It is not considered a punishment, but as a correction.

This means that there are two manners of correction: 1) the path of Torah, 2) the path of suffering. However, this is not regarded as a punishment, but as a correction, and the correction comes to him by suffering.

Afterwards, when he has a Kli, called “vessel of bestowal,” where he previously had only a desire for self-reception, now he receives a desire, meaning he expects the Creator to give him the Kli called “desire to bestow.” When he has the Kli of the desire to bestow, he is rewarded with the bounty and happiness that were in the thought of creation, which is called “to do good to His creations.” This is the meaning of “I am the last,” referring to the filling, that what he lacked before, now He fills all his deficiencies.

However, this is so only with respect to private Providence. That is, for himself, a person should say that everything depends on him, for only according to his overcoming in the work he will be able to be rewarded with the goal for which he was created. This is regarded as a person having to believe in reward in punishment. At that same time, once he has done his work, he must say that everything is under private Providence, as was said in the interpretation to “I am the first and I am the last.”

Regarding this matter, that one should reach the goal, he should know that the most important thing is to come to aim all his thoughts and actions to be Lishma, as it is written, “Everything that is called by My name, I have created, made, and fashioned for My glory.” We should understand what is written about “Everything that is called by My name, I have created.” Did the Creator Himself not create for His glory what is not called “by My name”? We should also understand the meaning of “called by My name.”

We should interpret “called by My name,” that he relates to Him, as it is written, “Israel, Your people,” or “His people, Israel,” meaning that he relates to the Creator. At that time he must be in equivalence of form with the Creator, as it is written, “As He is merciful, so you are merciful,” meaning that his intention is only to bestow upon the Creator, that all his actions are only for His glory, and he has no concern for his own benefit.

By that we should interpret, “Everything that is called by My name.” That is, who relates to Me? These are people who say that the whole of creation is only for His glory, and not for one’s own benefit. Then one can relate oneself to Me, and is regarded in the collective called “His people, Israel,” or “Israel.” At that time one can feel what is written, “Who chooses His people, Israel, with love.”

It follows that one should acquire a deficiency—to feel that he needs the Creator’s help to come to “all his actions are for the Creator.” Then begins the order of the work Lishma, and then he is rewarded with things, as in the words of Rabbi Meir.

Inapoi la pagina 1985 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Inapoi la pagina 1985 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Know Today and Reply to Your Heart

Article No. 17, Tav-Shin-Mem-Hey, 1984-195

It is written in The Zohar, Vaera (item 89): “Rabbi Elazar started and said, ‘Know today and reply to your heart that the Lord, He is God.’ He asks, ‘It should have said, ‘Know this day that the Lord, He is God,’ and in the end, ‘And reply to your heart,’ since knowing that the Lord is God qualifies him to respond so to the heart.’ He answers, ‘But Moses said, ‘If you want to insist on it and know ‘that the Lord is God,’ then ‘reply to your heart.’ Thus, we cannot know ‘that the Lord, he is God,” except by replying to the heart.’ This is why the text first brings ‘reply to your heart,’ to know by this that ‘the Lord he is God.’”

We should interpret this in the work. The order of the work is not what seems logical, as is the view of the nations of the world—first “we will hear,” and then “we will do.” Rather, first “we will do,” and then “we will hear,” as Israel said, “We will do and we will hear.” Our sages said (Shabbat, 88), “When Israel preceded doing to hearing, a voice came out and told them, ‘Who told my sons this secret, which the ministering angels used?’” It follows that by saying, “We will do and we will hear,” they became similar to the ministering angels and not to people.

We should understand the reason for this: An angel is called a “messenger.” There are two types of angels:

1) Those who do not mind what the sender tells them to do and take no interest in the act itself. Similarly, one who gives a package to give to another is not interested in the content of the package or the connection between the sender of the object and the messenger. But if he wants to carry out the sender’s instructions he does it willingly. Certainly, the messenger receives some reward for this action, and this is called “serving the rav [great one/teacher] in order to receive reward.”

2) Sometimes, if the sender is an important person, his reward is the privilege of serving the rav, and he does not need any other reward, called a “prize.” It follows that the messenger has no interest or need to know the connection between the sender, who is sending the objet to the receiver of the object. Also, he has no need to know what is the object, meaning what is in that package that he has received from the sender to bring to this or that person.

This is the meaning of “we will do,” like a messenger who is not interested at all, since we want to serve the king, to give him pleasure, and our pleasure is in having the possibility to serve him. This is the meaning of being an angel, meaning a messenger.

“We will hear” means that he already listens and understand the matter through and through. That is, at that time he is not regarded as an angel, a messenger. Rather, at that time he becomes the receiver of the gift from the messenger. And then it is not regarded as messenger and sender, but as receiver and giver, since he knows what is in that package because the giver wants him to receive the package and see the importance of the gift he is giving him.

According to the above we can interpret that the meaning of “reply to your heart” as “we will do,” which is faith above reason. Afterwards we can be rewarded with “the Lord, He is God,” which is “we will do.”

An act means potential action, when he has nothing to reply to the body’s question. He sees that what the body is asking is a correct question, to which he has no answer. At that time there is no room for deliberation because it is asking correct questions. At that time there is only one answer: “above reason.” That is, although the body object to all the things he wants to do for the Creator, he should say, “a Mitzva [good deed] induces a Mitzva.”

And since he has one Mitzva, which he always keeps, the Mitzva of circumcision, a Mitzva that the body cannot resist, if he can be happy with one thing, even that he is keeping the Creator’s commandment, if he is thinking about keeping this Mitzva, of which the body has no opinion, by that he can reawaken his work and toil diligently once again, as he did prior to the descent.

However, we must know that each ascent is a new thing. That is, when a person ascends, he does not return to the previous state. Rather, it is always a new discernment, as the ARI says, “One day is not like another; and one moment is not like another; and one cannot correct that which one’s friend will correct.”

By that we can interpret what our sages said (Minchot 43), “When David entered the bath-house and saw himself standing naked, he said, ‘Woe unto me for I am standing naked, without Mitzvot [good deeds/corrections].’ When he remembered the Mitzva of circumcision in his flesh, his mind was eased. When he came out he said a psalm about it, as it was said, ‘To the chief musician on the eighth,’ concerning the circumcision, which was given on the eighth.”

We should interpret that a bath-house is when a person comes to purify himself. A state of purity is called “bath-house.” At that time, when he looks at himself, at how much Torah and Mitzvot he has, and of which he can say he did for the Creator, he sees himself as naked. This concerns the past. Afterwards he looks at the present and sees that now, too, he does not want to do anything in order to bestow. This is the meaning of the words, “Woe unto me for I am standing naked, without Mitzvot.”

“When he remembered the Mitzva of circumcision in his flesh, his mind was eased,” since due in the commandment of circumcision he had no foreign thoughts because the view of the infant did not participate during the circumcision. Now, on the basis of the circumcision, he begins to build the order of his work, meaning that it will be above reason, too.

“When he came out he said a psalm about it.” That is, once he was out of his state, meaning during the ascent, regarded as coming out of the bath-house, when he has been purified, “He said a psalm about it,” since he built the whole structure henceforth on that basis of above reason, since the first Mitzva he had was above his reason.

This is why we should interpret that he “saw himself standing naked” means that he had no desire to do Mitzvot. Thus, he had no connection to Kedusha [holiness], since the body resisted anything of Kedusha. But “he remembered the Mitzva of circumcision in his flesh,” to which the body cannot resist. Even those who circumcised themselves, although they had choice while they were circumcising themselves, at the time they were in ascent, or they would not circumcise themselves. Afterwards, during the descent, they no longer had choice concerning the circumcision.

But women, who do not need to circumcise their bodies, with what can they overcome? It is possible because of Arvut [mutual guarantee], that “Israel are responsible for one another.” That Mitzva was literally carved in his flesh, meaning in his body, and not in a practical Mitzva, which is from the externality of his body. “His mind was eased,” meaning that in such a state of descent he is still connected to the commandments of the Creator.

This can give him room to build his structure of Kedusha and say to his body, “You cannot bring me to despair, since you see that you are detached from the whole issue of Torah and Mitzvot, and you have no desire, so why are you still dreaming that it is possible that the Creator will bring you closer than others? You see that you are worse than others, so where do you get this insolence that He should bring you closer, to walk on the path of truth, which is to bestow and not receive anything, when you see that your body doesn’t even agree to engage in Torah and Mitzvot Lo Lishma [not for Her sake]?”

To this comes the answer that the Creator deliberately left a Mitzva in your body, so you will be able to see that there is still something that connects you to the Creator, meaning the Mitzva of circumcision, which you cannot cancel. This is the meaning of saying, “The outcast shall not be outcast from Him.” Rather, everyone will approach the Creator. This is why his mind was appeased by this, for he began to build all of his reason on the circumcision in his flesh. This is the circumcision that was given on the eighth, since Bina is called “eighth,” which is covered Hassadim, meaning above reason.

Inapoi la pagina 1985 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Inapoi la pagina 1985 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Concerning the Slanderers

Article No. 18, Tav-Shin-Mem-Hey, 1984-195

It is written in The Zohar (Bo, item 1): “Rabbi Yehuda started and said, ‘Happy are the people who know the cheer.’ See how people must follow the path of the Creator and keep the Mitzvot[commandments] of the Torah so that through it they will be rewarded with the next world and be saved from all the slanderers above and below. This is so because as there are slanderers in the world below, there are slanderers above who stand ready to slander people.”

We should understand what are the slanderers below. This is understandable with regard to above, that if we want to give something to a person, slanderers come and complain about that person saying he should not be given what he is about to be given. But below? This begs the question, “Before whom are they complaining about the person?”

We should interpret that the slanderers come to the person himself. If a person wants to go by the path that ascends toward bestowal upon the Creator, slanderers come and tell him: “The way of bestowal is not for you; this way is suitable only for a chosen few, with special qualities and talents, brave hearts, strong, and who are able to overcome. But not you, for you don’t have the qualities of those above the common folk. Therefore, it is better for you to dwell among your own people, meaning follow the path of the general public and not aspire to be exceptional.”

In that regard, Rabbi Yehuda comes and tells us the verse, “Happy are the people who know the cheer.” RASHI interpreted that they know how to appease their maker. How do they appease Him? By Him pouring abundance upon them. Rabbi Yehuda interprets about that that they must go by the path of the Creator and observe the Mitzvot [commandments] of the Torah.” We should understand what are the “ways of the Creator.” The verse comes and tells us about that, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are My ways your ways.”

That is, only above reason can one walk by the path of the Creator. But within reason, the body itself is his slanderer and accuser, making him understand that the path of bestowing upon the Creator is not for him.

By this you will understand the verse (Exodus, 23): “You shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and distorts the words of the righteous.” We therefore see that when one comes to scrutinize the order of his work and sees the conditions required of him, he decides that he cannot take upon himself this path, which is the work of bestowal, for two reasons:

1) He is not one hundred percent certain about the reward for the work, since he does not see anyone who has received the reward for which he labored. That is, when he comes to criticize people who he sees that they did toil and tolerated the conditions of the work, he sees that they really did make great efforts. However, he does not find that they have already received the reward for their work. If he asks himself why they did not receive reward, he comes up with a great excuse: One who keeps all the conditions of the work certainly receives reward. However, they made great efforts, but not the one hundred percent required of them. This is why they are in a state where they believe He is ejecting them (from the work, for they believe that they are right and the work of bestowal is not for them).

2) At that time a second question comes up: “Who knows if he will be more capable then they are, and he will be able to give the full one hundred percent required to be brought to Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator?”

After those two reasons he decides that he is one hundred percent right in not wanting to take upon himself this path, which is built on faith above reason and on the basis of bestowal. He is so certain that he is right that he is sure that no one can criticize his unwillingness to take this path.

Accordingly, there is a question: “Those people who did commence on this path, who have taken upon themselves to walk on the path of bestowal, how did they overcome those questions?” Certainly, when one is told, “Go work, but not in order to receive reward,” immediately asks all these questions, since these question give one no rest. Thus, by which force could they emerge from the state of questions, which are called “evil waters”?

The only way is to go above reason and say, “What I see—that I am right and I must take the path that everyone takes—is not the truth, as I see it. Only one whose eyes are open can see the truth, but one whose eyes are not open cannot see the truth. When a person asks these questions he is biased toward his will to receive, since he is considering only the benefit he can derive for himself. Therefore, he can no longer see the truth. The verse comes and tells us about that: “You shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted.”

Therefore, it cannot be said that he is right according to his view because he is bribed by the will to receive, so he no longer has open eyes to see the truth. Instead, he should say, “Although I heard all your correct question, now I am unable to answer you. But once I have been rewarded with the desire to bestow I will have open eyes. Then, if you come to me with all your questions, I will certainly give you the right answers.

“But now I have no choice but to go above reason because all the reason that I see comes from the side of biasness. And although I think that all my calculations are correct, it should be said about them what the verse tells us, ‘distorts the words of the righteous,’ that I am unable to see who is right, meaning say that everything that must be done in order to bestow was not said about me, and ‘I dwell among my own people,’ like everyone else who settles for keeping Torah and Mitzvot saying, ‘I do what I must do.’

“Concerning intentions, this pertains to one who feels he needs it. I, for one, do not feel that I need to be smarter than everyone and I am content with less.” It was said about this, “distorts the words of the righteous,” but I go above reason.

This is the meaning of the great importance of “cleanness,” which is presented in all the books, that one must be clean before every Mitzva [commandment] one is about to do. And regarding cleanness, Baal HaSulam said that one should be careful that everything will be on the side of truth, and that no falsehood will be involved there. He also said that as there is a difference between people concerning keeping clean—there are people who make sure there is no dirt on their clothes, and there are people who are not so meticulous and the dirt is plainly visible, so they remove it. That is, it depends on the measure of loathing that one has for the dirt.

It is likewise in spirituality: No person is like another, and it depends on the extent to which one loathes falsehood. To the extent that he cannot tolerate falsehood, he comes closer to the path of truth.

He also said that we must know that this dirt in matters of the soul is the true harm-doer. Since the soul is eternal, one should be very careful with falsehood and keep one’s truth clean from any manner of falsehood.

By this we will understand what our sages said (Shabbat 114), “Rabbi Hiya Bar Aba said, ‘Rabbi Yohanan said, ‘Every wise disciple who is found with a blemish on his clothes must die, as it was said, ‘All who hate Me, love death.’ Do not call it ‘hate Me,’ but ‘cause to hate Me.’ RASHI interprets that ‘cause to hate Me’ means that they make themselves loathsome in the eyes of people, and the people say, ‘Woe unto the disciples of Torah for they are loathsome and dishonorable.’ It turns out that they make the Torah loathsome.’’”

Superficially, this is difficult to understand. If he has a blemish on his clothes, does he deserve to die? He brings evidence from the verse, “All who hate Me, love death.” Here, too, we should understand: If he hates Me, is this a sign that he loves death?

According to what we explained above, that cleanness pertains to the need to be clean, so there will be no mixture of falsehood there when he wants to walk on the path of truth. Truth is called Lishma[for Her sake], as Maimonides says (Hilchot Teshuva, Chapter 10), “One who works out of love, engages in Torah and Mitzvot, and follows the paths of wisdom not because of anything in the world, or because of fear of harm, and not in order to inherit goodness. Rather, he does the truth because it is the truth, and the good will finally come because of it.”

Therefore, it means that concerning finding a blemish in his clothes—which are regarded as clothes within which one receives goodness and life—they must be cleansed from any mixture of self-love, and be only for the Creator. According to this we will interpret “All who hate Me love death.” We asked, “Why does the verse say, ‘All who hate Me,’ meaning the reason he hates Me is that he loves death?

According to the above, this is simple: The meaning of death is clarified, since precisely one who is adhered to the life of lives has life. But one who is separated from Him is separated from life.

This is why it was said, “All who hate Me,” meaning who do not love the Creator, to work only for the Creator, but mix there a little bit of self-love, and self-love is death because it causes separation from the life of lives. For this reason, one who loves death, meaning self-love, becomes hateful of the Creator because of it.

RASHI interprets “cause to hate Me” to mean that they make themselves loathsome in the eyes of people. People say, “Woe unto the disciples of Torah, for they are loathsome and dishonorable.” It follows that they cause to hate the Torah.

This is difficult to understand. If there is a stain on his clothes, is he already loathsome in the eyes of people? And also, does the Torah cause people to hate the Torah so much that for this he deserves a punishment of death, as our sages said, “Every wise disciple who is found with a blemish on his clothes must die”?

In the work, we should interpret that “making themselves loathsome in the eyes of people” means one’s own organs, desires, and thoughts. Man’s body is called “a world in and of itself.” The organs of the body say, “Woe unto them who study Torah, for they are loathsome.” But it is written, “For they are our lives and the length of our days,” and they are “More desirable than gold, then much fine gold, and sweeter than honey and the honeycomb,” but we don’t see this with our disciples of Torah.

The reason why we do not see all those precious things in disciples of Torah is that there is a blemish on their clothes, meaning that there is self-love mingled in our disciples of Torah during the work. It follows that this blemish causes the good and the life in the Torah not to be able to clothe in these clothes, since they are not clean where everything is for the Creator. At that time the “people in our body” fall into despair. It follows they are causing them to hate the Torah.

That is, where the disciples of Torah should have revealed the preciousness of Torah, as it is written, “For it is your wisdom and understanding before the eyes of the nations,” here they see the opposite. And who caused all this? It is all because they were not careful with cleanness, which is called a “blemish.”

By this we will understand why he must die if there is a blemish on his clothes. It tells us that that blemish that he makes in his clothes separates him from the life of lives. This is why this is considered that he is compelling himself to come to a state of death. And it is all because he was not careful with cleanness, but falsehood, called Lo Lishma [not for Her sake] was mixed into his work. Rather, everything must be for the Creator.

Inapoi la pagina 1985 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Inapoi la pagina 1985 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

And Hezekiah Turned His Face to the Wall

Article No. 15, Tav-Shin-Mem-Hey, 1984-195

It is written in The Zohar (Vayechi, item 386): “Rabbi Yehuda started and said, ‘And Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord.’” These are his words there in the Sulam [Ladder commentary]: “One should pray only next to a wall and nothing should part between him and the wall, as it is written, ‘And Hezekiah turned his face to the wall.’”

We should understand what is the “wall” next to which we should pray. Also, what is the “partition” where he says that nothing should part. The Zohar interprets there and in the Sulam (item 392): “A wall is the Lord of all the land, and it is the Shechina [Divinity].”

Accordingly, we should interpret what he says, that we must pray next to a wall, meaning close to the Shechina. However, it is still not known what is the measure of proximity to the wall. He interprets that nothing should part between him and the wall. This is why we should interpret the issue of parting, such as with the Tevillah [ritual bathing], with Netillat Yadaim [ritual washing of the hands], and with the four species, where the palm branch, myrtle, and willow are tied with a palm branch leaf because it is of the same kind.

It follows that parting between him and that wall is—as the Shechina bestows upon the lower ones, so man should remove the force of reception—that his desire will be only to bestow upon the Creator. At that time it is called nearing and proximity to the wall.

However, first we must know, and it is our duty to try to understand as much as we can with our little minds what we need to pray for, meaning which deficiency we should regard and say that this is the main thing we need, and that if we can satisfy that deficiency we will not need anything else.

It is known that the essence of the prayer is for the Shechina being in exile. However, this requires explanation, too. It is written in many places that the main thing we need to pray for is to raise the Shechina from the dust. There are many interpretations to it, and the little we can understand is the kingdom of heaven. This is what one takes upon himself—that he has nothing in the world that is his purpose, except to serve the king not in order to receive reward. By that he will be rewarded with Dvekut with the Creator, and will be able to delight the king, as in “As He is merciful, so you are merciful.” At that time he will be fit to keep the thought of creation to do good to His creations.

However, the discernment called “bestowing contentment upon the Creator” does not have a place in the creatures for they are born with a desire to receive. For this reason, the are utterly incapable of comprehending the concept of bestowal. This is similar to an object laying in the dust and no one notices that it should be picked up. This is called “Shechina in the dust.” It is as it is written (The Selichot [forgiveness] of the thirteen qualities): “I will remember God and long for Him when I see every city built on its foundations, and the city of God lowered to the very bottom.”

A “city” means as it is written (Ecclesiastes, 9), “a small city with few men in it.” Eben Ezra interprets as follows, “The ancient interprets said that it is an allegory: “a small city is man’s body, and “few men in it” means those with power to beget, the servants of the soul.

Therefore, here, too, we should interpret the “city of God” to mean that when the body wants God to dwell in it, in this body, all the organs resist it. The work of bestowal, meaning to work for the Creator, is work in utter lowliness, and there is a taste of dust in this work. It is written in the curse of the serpent (Genesis, 3), “You are more cursed than all beast, and more than every animal of the field; you will walk on your belly, and you will eat dust all the days of your life.” This means that everything he will eat will taste like dust.

It is likewise here: when a person begins to work for the Creator and does not see that self-love will draw any benefit from it, this work is degraded, and everything he does in it tastes like dust. This is called “The city of God is lowered to the very bottom.” That is, if there is a partition between him and the Shechina, meaning if his work is built on a basis of self-love, he thinks that he is at the height of perfection.

But when he wishes to remove the partition between him and the wall, and wants to work on the basis of bestowal, he feels that he is at the very bottom, since he does not see that in this work he will have anything to receive for his will to receive. At that time all the organs resist this work.

Now we will understand for what we need to pray. The prayer should be primarily for the Shechinabeing in the dust. This means that work to bestow upon the Creator is despicable and contemptible, and we ask of the Creator to open our eyes and remove the darkness that is floating before our eyes.

We ask about this, as it is written (Psalms 113), “He raises the poor from the dust, and lifts the destitute from the trash.” It is known that the holy Shechina is called poor and meager, as it is written in The Zohar, “and it is placed in the dust.” “He lifts the poor from the trash” refers to those who want to cling to her but feel that they are lowly, and they do not see how they can emerge from this mud. At that time they ask of the Creator to lift them.

Where the body agrees with the work, where it is on the basis of the will to receive, since they have no clue about bestowal, their work is with pride, meaning they take pride in being servants of the Creator while others are in utter lowliness, and they always see others’ faults.

But those who walk on the path of truth, who want to achieve bestowal, are lowly because they see that “Were it not for the Creator’s help, he would not have overcome it.” Thus, they find no special merit in themselves over others. These people are called “lowly” because they want to connect to bestowal, which is lowliness, and this is another reason why they are called “lowly.”

At that time they can say what is written, “The Lord is high, great, and terrible. He lowers the proud to the ground, and raises the lowly to the heavens,” for at that time they say that what was lowly before is now high and sublime, great and terrible. This is because now they feel that what was previously work in self-love, which is pride, when they felt proud about this work, has now become lowliness, since they are ashamed to work for self-love.

But who gave them the strength to feel this? It was the Creator who gave them. This is why at that time a person says, “Lowers the proud to the ground,” while the work of bestowal, which was previously lowly, now the work of bestowal has become to him of the highest merit. And who did this for him? Only the Creator. At that time a person says, “And raises the lowly to the heaven.”

Shechina in exile means that one should feel that she is in exile. That is, since a person is called a “small world,” for he consists of seventy nations, and the Israel in him is in exile, meaning the people of Israel (in him) is enslaved to the nations of the world in him and cannot do anything for their own good, but only for the nations of the world, and the people of Israel are called Yashar-El [straight to the Creator], wanting to bestow upon the Creator, while they want to work in order to receive, which is called the “nations of the world.”

Accordingly, we should interpret “Israel that have exiled” to mean that if Israel are in exile and cannot do anything Yashar-El, the Shechina is with them. She, too, is in exile, as though she cannot rule over them because they seemingly rule over her. This is the meaning of what King David said (Psalms, 115), “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name give glory, for Your mercy, for Your truth. Why should the nations say, ‘Where is their God?’ and our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases.”

According to the above, we should interpret that we ask of the Creator to help us come out of exile. This is the meaning of saying, “Not to us,” meaning to our will to receive. That is, we want our thoughts and desires and deeds not to be for our will to receive, which is regarded as the importance being only for the nations of the world.

Rather, “To Your name give glory,” so that the Shechina will not be in exile and regarded as dust, but that the glory of heaven will be revealed, which is called “May His great name grow and be sanctified.” This is the meaning of “Why should the nations say,” meaning the nations of the world in a person, which are called “nations.” What do they say? “Where is their God?” meaning they oppose the faith of Israel, for their work is in mind and heart, and all of their (the nations) work is within reason.

But “our God is in the heavens,” meaning specifically above reason, called “heaven,” which is above our intellect. And why did (the Creator) make our work be above reason? We do not say that He could not do otherwise. Rather, “He does whatever He pleases,” and He understood that work above reason is a better way to achieve the goal, to be able to receive the delight and pleasure, yet remain in order to bestow and not for self-gratification.

We should interpret “for Your mercy, for Your truth,” that we pray to the Creator, “Give glory to Your name.” “Your mercy” means that the quality of mercy will be poured upon us so we will have the strength to walk in the quality of mercy, called “vessels of bestowal,” and by that we will have equivalence of form.

Subsequently, we will be able to receive the delight and pleasure, which is called the “quality of truth,” as interpreted in The Study of the Ten Sefirot (Part 13 p 1,419, and in Ohr Pnimi there): “This is why the disclosure of His guidance is called ‘truth,’ since it is truly His will. We discover this truth in His guidance, which is to do good to His creations, and this is why that correction in ZA is called ‘truth.’” This is the meaning of “Your truth.”

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Jacob Dwelled in the Land Where His Father Had Lived

Article No. 12, Tav-Shin-Mem-Hey, 1984-195

“Jacob dwelled in the land where his father had lived, in the land of Canaan.” It is written in The Zohar (Vayeshev, item 11): “Rabbi Hiya started and said, ‘Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.’ But the righteous who fears his master, how much affliction he suffers in this world so as not to believe or partake with the evil inclination? And the Creator saves him from them all. This is the meaning of what is written, ‘Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.’ It does not say ‘many to the righteous,’ but ‘Many are the afflictions of the righteous.’ This indicates that that one who suffers many afflictions is righteous because the Creator desires him, since the afflictions he suffers remove him from the evil inclination, and therefore the Creator desires that person and saves him from them all.”

We should understand these words:

1) This implies that one who suffers many afflictions is righteous, and one who does not suffer many afflictions is not righteous.

2) Why must he suffer many afflictions if he does not want the evil inclination to partake with him?

3) Do the words, “And for this reason the Creator desires that person and saves him from all of them,” mean that the Creator does not save other people, God forbid? Can this be?

4) Even more perplexing, on the one hand it says that the troubles he suffers remove him from the evil inclination. On the other hand it says that the Creator saves him from all of them, meaning saves him from many afflictions. Thus, he will bring himself close to the evil inclination once again, since the reason that removed him from the evil inclination has been cancelled.

We should interpret his words. Here is a verse that concerns this (Kidushin 30b): “Rabbi Shimon Ben Levi said, ‘Man’s inclination overpowers him each day and seeks to put him to death, as it was said, ‘The wicked watches for the righteous and seeks to put him to death.’ Were it not for the Creator’s help, he would not have overcome it, as it was said, ‘God will not leave him in his hand.’’”

In Masechet Sukkah (p 52), there is another similar verse: “The evil inclination has seven names. Solomon called it “enemy,” as it is said (Proverbs, 25), “If your enemy is hungry feed him bread; if he is thirsty give him water to drink, for you are burning coals on his head and the Lord will pay you.” Do not pronounce it as Yashlim [pay], but as Yashlimenu [complement] you.

According to RASHI, “If your inclination is hungry and craves transgression, feed it bread and trouble it with the war of Torah, as it is written (Proverbs, 9): ‘Go, eat of my bread.’ ‘Give him the water of Torah to drink,’ as it is written about it (Isaiah, 25), “All who are thirsty, go to the water.’ ‘Will complement you’ means that your inclination will be completely with you, love you, and will not incite you to sin and be lost from the world.”

To understand all the above we must know that the essence of the evil inclination—which is called the “essence of creation,” which the Creator created existence from absence—is the will to receive. It is known (see in the introductions) that this is something new that did not exist before He has created it. Man’s work is only to work the opposite of his nature, meaning that he will want only to bestow. But since it is against his nature—since by nature he needs to see only to the needs of self-love—he has no desire to work for others.

Although we see that sometimes people do work for others, this is possible only if they see that they will be rewarded for their work, namely that het will to receive will be satisfied by it. That is, the reward should satisfy the self-love; otherwise one cannot exit the vessels of reception by nature.

However, being able to perform acts in order to bestow and not receive any reward is unnatural. And although we see that there are people who kill themselves for their country and do not want anything in return, it is because their country is very important to them, and that importance is also natural, as our sages said, “The favor of the place is with its dwellers.”

However, there is certainly a difference in the measure of favor, for not everyone favors the same. This is why there are many who volunteer to the army because of the importance of their homeland, but think that this is not so dangerous that their lives are at stake, “because I see that many people return unharmed from the war.”

And if there is sometimes a danger of certain death, they are not willing to go to certain death, except for a chosen few for whom the homeland is important. But here, too, the power of reward is involved, because he thinks that after his death everyone will know that he was dedicated to the public and that he was above everyone else because he cared for the public’s well-being.

But in the work of the Creator, when a person is walking on the path of truth, he must work in humbleness so that the external ones will have no grip. That is, in serving the Creator he will not have the grip of working for the outer ones, meaning that people outside of him will know about his work, so he is working devotedly so that people outside will say that he was above the common folk. This assists him in his ability to work without return, so that people outside will say that he was working only for the Creator. The Creator gave this power to the creatures because “from Lo Lishma[not for Her sake] he will come to Lishma [for Her sake],” and he will not have any assistance from outside. He can achieve that if he first has Lo Lishma, but he should not remain in Lo Lishma, God forbid.

This is the meaning of what our sages said (Sukkah, 45), “Anyone who joins working for the Creator with something else is uprooted from the world, as it is said, ‘Only for the Lord.’” The meaning of “only for the Lord” is that there will be no mingling of self-love at all, but only for the Creator. This is the meaning of the word, “only.”

Still, there is a fundamental issue to understand here. We should discern if a person is devoted in order to acquire something. Even if he receives the reward for the public, this is certainly a great thing because if the reward he is receiving is not for self-love but for love of others, because he loves the others and puts himself to death for them, to benefit the public, but there is no doubt that if he could achieve the same thing not by giving up his life, he would have chosen that other way. This is so because to him the key is to receive a reward for the public, and not the work. The contentment he can bring his homeland is what makes him work, therefore he does not regard the means by which to obtain that thing for the homeland. If he sees that specifically by giving up his life for the country (he can bring contentment to the country), he is willing to do this, too.

Conversely, with love of the Creator, we say that a person should work only for the Creator, meaning without any reward. This means that he is ready for complete devotion without any reward, without any return being born out of his devotion. Rather, this is the core—his purpose, that he wants to annul his self before the Creator, meaning (cancel) his will to receive, which is the existence of the Creator. This is what he wants to annul before the Creator. It follows that this is his goal, meaning his goal is to give his soul to the Creator.

This is not so in corporeality with respect to love of others. Although this is a great degree, and not all the people can work for the general public, still, devotion is only a means and not a goal, and he would be happier if he could save the public without giving up his life.

Let us ask all those who volunteer to go to war for their country. If someone could advise them how to save their country without losing their lives, they would certainly be happy. But when there is no choice, they are willing to go, for the public, so that the public will receive the reward, while they are giving up everything. Although this is a great force, it has nothing to do with devotion to the Creator, where devotion is the goal, and what comes out as a result is not their purpose, as this was not their intention. Therefore, devotion in spirituality is worthless to corporeal people, since for them devotion is a means and not the goal, while in spirituality it is the opposite: devotion is the goal.

By this we will understand the meaning of receiving in order to bestow. Man’s purpose is only to bestow upon the Creator, for this is the meaning of equivalence of form, “As He is merciful, so you are merciful.” When he achieves the degree of devotion to the Creator because he wants to annul himself in order to delight the Creator, he sees that the purpose of the Creator, as it was in the thought of creation, is to do good to His creations. At that time he wants to receive the delight and pleasure that was in the purpose of creation—to delight His creatures.

This is called “receiving in order to bestow.” Otherwise, he might want to receive the delight and pleasure and this is why he gives everything, so he can receive. This is regarded as “bestowing in order to receive.” But if his purpose is to bestow, and he has no desire to receive for his own benefit at all, but only for the Creator, then he can become a receiver in order to bestow.

Concerning devotion, I heard from Baal HaSulam that one should depict devotion as we find with Rabbi Akiva (Berachot 61b): He said to his disciples, “My whole life I have regretted the verse, ‘With all your soul, even if He takes your soul.’ I said, ‘When will I be able to keep it?’ And now that this has come to me, will I not keep it?”

Certainly with such a desire to bestow, when a person says that he wants to receive delight and pleasure because this is the purpose of creation, he certainly means (only) to receive in order to bestow upon the Creator.

By this we will understand the four above questions:

Question no. 1) It seems from the words of The Zohar that only one who suffers many afflictions is righteous, but one who does not suffer afflictions cannot be righteous. Can this be? The thing is that afflictions refer to the evil inclination. That is, specifically one who feels that the evil inclination is causing him many afflictions by not letting him approach the Creator is called “righteous.” But if a person does not feel that it is removing him from the Creator and does not feel that by this it is causing him afflictions, is not considered righteous because he has not achieved recognition of evil, meaning that it hurts him.

Question no. 2) Why must he suffer many afflictions if he wants the evil inclination not to take part in him? This means that there is no other choice but to suffer afflictions. According to the above-said, this is very simple: Afflictions refer to the evil inclination. If he does not feel that the evil inclination is causing him many afflictions, he does regard it as evil inclination that he does not want to have a part in him. Rather, he regards it as a good inclination, which brings him only good, so why should it not have a part in him? But if he sees the afflictions that the evil inclination causes him then he does not partake with it.

Question no. 3) The Zohar says that the Creator desires a person who suffers many afflictions. This means that the Creator does not desire one who does not suffer afflictions. Can this be? The answer is that if a person feels that the evil inclination is causing him many afflictions, and the person cries out to the Creator to help him, the Creator desires that person. But when a person does not feel that the evil inclination is afflicting him, the Creator does not want him because he has no Kli [vessel], meaning desire that the Creator will save him.

Question no. 4) If the Creator saves him from afflictions, he will reconnect with the evil inclination.

Answer: Salvation that comes from the Creator is a different matter than salvation that occurs in corporeality. The evil that takes place at the time of the Achoraim [posterior], which is the time of concealment of the face, when he sees that he is under concealment, for it is known that the little one is annulled before the great one, and certainly here, in serving the Creator, a person must annul before the Creator as a candle before a torch. Yet, he sees that his body does not annul, and it is hard for him to subdue it and take upon himself faith above reason. At that time he sees that the body is afflicting him by not wanting to assume the burden of the kingdom of heaven, by which he is removed from all the spirituality.

It follows that one must believe that the Creator has created the world with benevolence, and the evil in his body removes him from all the good. That is, when he comes to learn Torah, he finds it utterly tasteless. And also, when he comes to perform some Mitzva [good deed/correction], he finds it utterly tasteless because the evil inclination in his body has the power to not let him believe in the Creator above reason by taking out every flavor. Whenever he begins to approach something spiritual, he feels that everything is dry without any moist of life.

When the person began his work, he was told—and he believed what he was told—that the Torah is a Torah of life, as it is written, “For they are your life and the length of your days,” and as it is written (Psalms 19), “More desirable than gold, than much fine gold, and sweeter than honey and the honeycomb.”

But when one consider this and sees that the evil inclination is to blame for everything, and strongly feels the bad that it is causing him, then he feels on himself what is written (Psalms 34) “Many are the afflictions of the righteous.” That is, that verse was said about him.

At that time he looks at what the verse says afterwards, “but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” At that time he begins to cry out to the Creator to help him because he has already done everything that he could think of doing, but nothing helped, and he thinks that “Everything that you find within your power to do, that do,” was said about him. At that time comes the time of salvation—the salvation of the Creator delivering him from the evil inclination—to the extent that from this day forth the evil inclination will surrender before him and will not be able to incite him into any transgression.

It is written in the “Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot” (item 54): “When the Creator sees that one has completed one’s measure of exertion and finished everything he had to do in strengthening his choice in faith in the Creator, the Creator helps him. Then, one attains open Providence, meaning the revelation of the face. Then, he is rewarded with complete repentance, meaning he cleaves to the Creator once more with all his heart, soul, and might, as though naturally drawn by the attainment of the open Providence.”

It is also written there (item 56): “What is repentance like? When He who knows the mysteries will testify that he will not turn back to folly.” The words, ‘What is repentance like?’ mean “When can one be certain that he has been rewarded with complete repentance?” For this he was given a clear sign: “When He who knows the mysteries will testify that he will not turn back to folly.” This means that he has been rewarded with disclosure of the face, and then His salvation itself testifies that he will not turn back to folly.

This answers the fourth question, that if the Creator saves him from the evil inclination He will not afflict him. The holy Zohar says that the afflictions that the righteous suffers are in order not to partake with it. It follows that if the Creator saves him and he sees that He will not afflict him, then he will reconnect with the evil inclination, since the only reason that the evil inclination is afflicting him is in order not to partake with it. But since the reason has been cancelled, the situation returns as before.

However, according to what we explained, the salvation of the Creator is the revelation of the face, until the Creator testifies that he will not sin. The afflictions that the righteous suffers are for him to be able to ask of the Creator, as is said above, “If there is no Achoraim [posterior/back], there is no disclosure of the Panim [face/anterior].” It follows that when there is disclosure of the face of the Creator, everything is as it should be.

Inapoi la pagina 1985 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

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Jacob Went Out

Article No. 10, Tav-Shin-Mem-Hey, 1984-195

“Jacob went out.” According to RASHI’s interpretation, “It should have written only ‘Jacob went to Haran.’ Why does it mention his exit? It says that the exit of a righteous from a place leaves an impression. When the righteous is in town, he is its splendor, he is its brilliance, he is its majesty. When he exits it, its splendor exits, its brilliance exits, and its majesty exits.” Thus far his words.

We should understand the above in the work. What is a righteous, and what is the impression that a righteous makes upon his exit?

We should interpret that the Creator is called “righteous,” as it is written, “The Lord is the righteous, and I and my people are the wicked.” This means that when a person is close to the Creator, meaning feels that the Creator is close to him, he feels how the Creator does him good. At that time he feels good taste in Torah and in prayer, and in all his engagements, he feels that the Creator is close to him. Whatever he does, he does it with joy and elation.

Afterwards he comes into a descent, feeling tastelessness in the study of Torah and good deeds. However, he is left with the impression that he had during the ascent, when he felt good taste in Torah and Mitzvot [commandments], and was in a state of joy. That remaining impression make him long to return to the previous state. That is, after some time he awakens through the impression left in him, so as to seek advice how to return to the state he had, which was called a “state of ascent,” while now he feels his lowliness—how remote he is from anything spiritual.

This brings up the question, “Why did he get this descent? Who is gaining by this?” Or, perhaps it came to him as a punishment, for now he must correct himself for his sin. However, he does not know what was the sin for which he has descended from the state of ascent he was in. Thus, he does not know what to correct. It follows that on the one hand he does not see any deficiency in himself that could have caused him a descent, so he is compelled to say that it came from the Creator. This begs the question, “What did He gain from lowering him from his degree?”

By this we can interpret what our sages said, “The exit of the righteous from the place leaves an impression.” During the ascent it is regarded as the Creator being present in the place, meaning in the body. At that time He causes him the sensation of excitement from Torah and Mitzvot. But he could not give that importance—that the Creator is in him, as it is written, “I am the Lord, who dwells within them, in the midst of their impurity—to appreciate it, to know who is in him and pay the due respect. Thus, they could never help him receive a higher degree, since he was satisfied with the work.

Therefore, he was lowered from heaven so as to know once more how to appreciate it, since from above they raised him and brought him closer, but he did not value it. If you should ask, “Why must one value his state of ascent?” It is as I heard from Baal HaSulam, that there is no distinction of degrees in the light. Rather the matter of Gadlut [adulthood/greatness] and Katnut [infancy/smallness] depends on the attainment of the Kelim [vessels]. According to the vessels’ attainment of the light, so is the measure of the light. This is why he said that if a person receives something from above, and has the sense to value it, to that extent the illumination grows for him and he does not need a greater light at all. Rather, by himself, by appreciating (the illumination), it grows and illuminates for him each time on a higher degree.

It follows that the whole sin for which he fell from his degree was that he did not value his condition and was content. It therefore follows that he would have had to stay in this degree forever. Therefore, the descent he had received was for his own good, so as to give him the ability to ascend in the degrees of holiness.

Therefore, “The exit of a righteous from a place leaves an impression. When the righteous is in town, he is its splendor, he is its brilliance, he is its majesty,” means that all the importance was in it, but he did not know how to appreciate its value. Hence, “its splendor departs, its brilliance departs, and its majesty departs.”

It follows that “The exit of a righteous from a place leaves an impression.” He should know that when the righteous was in town, he did not pay attention to appreciating it: its splendor, its brilliance, and its majesty.” Instead, he turned, meaning that he did not have the importance of all the abovementioned degrees of importance.

This is called “leaves an impression,” meaning that it had to be imprinted in him that the exit of the righteous from the place was because of the turning, meaning that in fact, all the degrees were there, but he did not notice it because he should have known that there are no changes in the light, but everything depends on the Kelim [vessels]. It follows that we can say that this departure was not due to a sin, but so as to allow him to rise in the degrees of holiness.

We should also interpret regarding the abovementioned verse, that the exit of a righteous from the place leaves an impression refers to a person, for when the righteous is in town, it means that a person can justify Providence. Then, when he overcomes the state he is in and says, “There is no doubt that the Creator, who is good and does good, is behaving benevolently with me. However, He wants me to feel as I do.” It follows that he is justifying Providence. At that time he immediately sees the importance of the work of bestowal and above reason. This is called, “When the righteous is in town, he is its splendor, he is its brilliance, he is its majesty,” for then he (sees) all the virtues.

“When he departs from there” means that he has departed from justifying Providence and wants to see everything within reason. At that time he feels no taste in the work in order to bestow. And then, “its splendor departs, its brilliance departs, and its majesty departs,” and he falls once more into self-love. In other words, at that time he knows nothing but work that is built on a basis of within reason.

This is regarded as the “exit of the righteous from the place leaves an impression.” It means that only then, through the exit of the righteous, when he thinks, “Now that I feel good taste in the work, I no longer need to work above reason,” it causes him the exit of the righteous from the place. This creates in him an impression, so he will know how to keep himself from exiting the work of above reason from here on. As I heard from Baal HaSulam, when a person says, “Now that he has support and no longer stands between heaven and earth,” he must fall from his degree because then he flaws the discernment of above reason.

It therefore follows that precisely the departure of the degree he had leaves an impression on him so he will know how to be careful next time and will not blemish the faith above reason, but always justify Providence.

“And behold, a ladder was set on the earth with its top reaching to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.” The interpreters ask, “It should have said, ‘descending,’ and then ‘ascending.’” To understand this in the work we need to explain that the ladder implies a person: A person stands below, on the earth, but the man’s head reaches the heaven. That is, when a person begins to advance upward, he reaches the heaven, and he should not complain that the ladder is set on the earth.

However, first we need to understand what “on the earth,” means. We see that the earth is the lowest thing. And yet, we also see that all the stately buildings and wholesome fruits come specifically from the earth.

It is known that Eretz [earth] implies the will to receive, which is the foundation, since all of creation and all the bad that exists in the world extend from this desire, as it is known that all the wars, murders, and so forth are rooted in the will to receive. This is called “a ladder set on the earth,” for when a person first comes to the world, he is placed on the Eretz [earth], from the word Ertzeh [I will want], meaning I want to receive. This is regarded as lowliness, that there is nothing lower than that. However, “its top reaching to heaven.” That is, precisely through the ladder being set on the earth, I will want, for Ertzeh [“earth,” “I will want”] has two meanings: 1) from the word, Ertzeh, meaning “I want,” 2) from the word Eretz [land], which is regarded as lowliness.

It is known that the essence of creation is only the desire to receive, that in the beginning of creation only the will to receive immerged. Afterwards there were corrections, called “equivalence of form,” which means that the lower one, called “earth,” achieves equivalence with heaven, which is called the “giver.” We can interpret this as man, although he is in worldliness, can still correct, by his head—called “the end of the ladder”—reaching to heaven, namely being in equivalence of form with the heaven, which is regarded as receiving in order to bestow.

As in the beginning of creation, the receiver immerged first, and then was corrected in order to bestow, so is the ladder, which is akin to a person standing on the earth. The beginning is on the earth, and then he reaches heaven. This means that we should not be impressed when we see that man is full of worldliness and has no sparks of bestowal, and he cannot believe that it is realistic that his body will ever agree to work only in order to bestow. Instead, he should believe that it is the way and the order of the work that the Creator wants it specifically in this way—that a ladder will be placed on the earth with its top reaching to heaven.

By this we will understand what is written, “The angels of God were ascending and descending on it.” The interprets asked, “Angels are in the sky, so it should have been written there ‘descending’ and then ‘ascending.’” We should interpret that this refers to man, who is the emissary of the Creator, since an angel is called a “messenger.” These men, who are walking on the path of the Creator, are called “God’s angels.” First they ascend, by the ladder being set on the earth, and reach the top of the ladder, regarded as “its head reaching to heaven.” Afterwards they descend, meaning that all the ascents and descents are because there are two ends to the ladder: 1) “set on the earth,” meaning the place of lowliness, 2) but “its top reaching to heaven.”

This means that to the extent that he appreciates “its top reaching to heaven,” he can feel the lowliness of being “set on the earth,” and regret being in worldliness. But if he has no real clue about “its top reaching to heaven,” he has nothing to impress him about being in a state of descent.

It follows that to the extent that he ascends and “its top reaching to heaven,” he can appreciate the measure of lowliness of the descent. This is why it is first written “ascending”, and then “descending,” since one can feel that he is in a state of descent only to the extent that he feels the importance of reaching to heaven.

This is the meaning of “ascending” and then “descending,” since the ladder that one should climb in order to carry out his vocation—for he was sent to this world by the Creator—begins from the degree of “a ladder set on the earth with its top reaching the heaven,” meaning from the beginning of lowliness, which is the will to receive, which is his nature. “Its head” means that at the end of the ladder he should reach the heaven, which is only to bestow. This is called “heaven,” as earth is called “receiving,” and heaven is called “giving.”

We should also interpret ascending and descending as a person having to know that when he feels that he is in descent, such as when he engages in commerce or works at a factory, or simply walks on the street, and he suddenly wakes up from his sleep and finds himself in a state of descent, at that time he should know that knowing that he is in a descent has come to him from the ascent. This is called “ascending” first, and then “descending,” for if there were no ascent in degree, owing to the awakening from above, he would not come to feel this. However, he is being called upon from above.

It follows according to the above that our entire work is as “a ladder set on the earth with its top reaching the heaven.” That is, man’s ladder has two discernments, and with those two discernments he ascends on the ladder of the living.

1) From his perspective, the “ladder set on the earth,” which is the will to receive, is set on the earth, which is lowliness. Earth means receiving, Nukva [female], who receives from the heaven, where heaven is called “male,” giver. “Its head reaching to heaven” means that bestowal, called “heaven,” is to him the head, meaning important. To the extent that he regards bestowal as the head, he regards the earth, which is the will to receive, as “earth,” meaning lowliness.

2) He regards the Eretz, meaning Ertzeh [I will want], as the head, and heaven is regarded as lowliness.

Also, “angels of God” means that one who makes the calculation that he has come to this world on a mission from the Creator to correct corrections, is called “angels of God ascending and descending” on it. That is, they see the ladder of the living set on the earth, meaning that the will to receive is regarded as lowliness.

“Its top reaching to heaven” means that to him bestowal means heaven. That is, they are awaiting bestowal because the essence of their work is to bestow contentment upon the Creator, and this is what they regard as “head.” When they receive a desire with which they can bestow, they consider it elation, and this is what they wait for. Conversely, when they are placed under the rule of the earth, they feel lowliness, and are looking only to bestow upon the Creator.

Inapoi la pagina 1985 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Inapoi la pagina 1985 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

The Life of Sarah

Article No. 7, Tav-Shin-Mem-Hey, 1984-195

It is written in The Zohar, in the portion, Hayei Sarah [The Life of Sarah] (item 17), “Another interpretation: ‘A king is a woman who fears the Lord, as you say, ‘A woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised,’ meaning the Shechina [Divinity]. ‘…to a cultivated field’ is foreign fire, meaning the Sitra Achra, as you say, ‘to protect you from a foreign woman,’ for there is a field and there is a field. There is a field that all the blessings and sanctities are in it, as you say, ‘as the scent of a field which the Lord has blessed,’ meaning the Shechina. There is a field that every ruin, impurity, destruction, killing, and war is in it, meaning the Sitra Achra,” thus far its words.

According to our way, the meaning is that we have two ways—either to follow the path of those who come to the Creator, whose way is the path of bestowal, or a path that leads to people, which is reception, since the creatures are called “creatures” only with respect to reception and self-love, which comes to us from the core of creation.

There was a Tzimtzum [restriction] and concealment on that aspect, for in this place it is not evident that the whole earth is full of His glory, as it is possible to attain that the whole earth is full of His glory only when one exits the place of reception. But prior to exiting reception, one can only believe that this is so.

To be able to feel this, we are given the advice to exit the place of reception, which the place of darkness and death. That is, the light of life cannot appear although it is present, but it is covered from man, and one who comes to that place becomes separated from the source of life.

Hence, that place is called “darkness and death,” and every kind of calamity is present there. This is called the Sitra Achra [other side], meaning it is the opposite of Kedusha [holiness/sanctity]. A place of Kedusha, called a “place of bestowal,” is a place of equivalence of form. This is why in that place appear all the delight and pleasure, as it is a place of blessing and holiness. This is called “a woman who fears the Lord.” Our work is only to come to fear the Lord, called “assuming the burden of the kingdom of heaven.”

By this we will understand what our sages said about the verse, “as black as a raven” (Iruvin, 22): “In whom do you find them? Raba said, ‘In one who pretends to be as cruel as a raven to his sons and to his household.’ And some say, ‘In whom you exclude the orders of Torah.’” RASHI interprets that a raven is cruel to its young, as it is written, “to the young ravens which cry.”

The word Orev [raven] comes from the word Arev [pleasant], as it is written, “for your voice is Arev [pleasant].” It is the opposite of the dove, as our sages said about the verse, “The dove came to him … and behold, in her beak was a freshly picked olive leaf” (Iruvin 18). “Rabbi Yirmiah Ben Elazar said, ‘Why is it is written, ‘and behold, in her beak was a freshly picked olive leaf’?’ The dove said to the Creator, ‘Lord of the world, let my food be as bitter as an olive but be given by You, and let them not be as sweet as honey but be given by flesh and blood.’’”

It is known that when a person works in order to receive, when his direction is only self-love, that work is called “sweet work.” This is why the dove said, “let my food be as bitter as an olive but be given by the Creator.” This refers to his sustenance, on which one sustains oneself, the sustenance on which one lives. If his work is intended to for the Creator, even though it is bitter because the body does not agree with his nourishment, it will be dependent on the measure of his ability to aim to bestow, since it is against the nature in which the body was born.

The body was born with a desire to receive. It craves only that which can sustain self-love. This is regarded as provision that comes from “flesh and blood.” The body enjoys this provision and finds it sweet. It is regarded as Orev [raven] because only provision of flesh and blood is Arev [pleasant] to it. But it runs from provision that is given from above—meaning from being able to work for the Creator—since it feels bitterness in acts of bestowal.

It therefore follows that the raven is called “work of self-love.” Since there was a restriction on the will to receive, which is concealment and the upper light does not appear there, the work of the raven is black. This is the meaning of “as black as a raven.” That is, where is the Torah found? In whom can the light of Torah shine? Only in one who has come to realize that a raven, meaning work in reception, causes only blackness, that he can receive only darkness and not light. Our sages said about this that the Torah is found only “in one who pretends to be as cruel as a raven to his sons and to his household.”

It is known that father and son are cause and consequence. Therefore, we should interpret the above words to mean that one who has realized that by serving flesh and blood, which is work in self-love, though it is sweet work, it is a raven. However, by this he knows the outcome, meaning what will come out of such work—only darkness, called “blackness.” At that time he knows that he has become cruel to his sons, meaning he has no mercy on the results that will come out of this.

It follows that if he knows he has become cruel by walking on the degree of raven, he changes his way and begins to walk on the path of the dove, agreeing to work for the Creator even though these nourishments are as bitter as olives. But the results, meaning the sons, will enjoy his work, since because it is in order to bestow, abundance will flow into that place. This is the opposite from the raven, who becomes cruel to his sons.

We can interpret that this is why Israel are compared to a dove. This is the assembly of Israel, which is regarded as Yashar-El [straight to the Creator]. This means that everything that the people of Israel do is with the intention Yashar-El. Conversely, the nations of the world are regarded as a foreign God, not wanting to dedicate their work to the Creator.

By this we can interpret the verse, “He gives to the beast its bread, and to the young ravens which cry.” We should understand the reason for the proximity of “beast” to “raven.” It is as our sages said about the verse, “Man and beast” (Hulin, 5): “Rav Yehuda said, ‘Rav said, ‘these people are cunning and pretend to be as a beast.’’” Baal HaSulam interpreted that it is faith above reason, whose basis is vessels of bestowal.

The young of the raven—when one looks and sees one’s results, meaning what will come out of self-love—begin to call out to the Creator to give them vessels of bestowal and faith above reason, once they have realized what results self-love, called “raven,” will bring them. We can say that this is called “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.”

Baal HaSulam interpreted what is written in the songs of Shabbat, “Extend Your mercy to one who knows You, O jealous and vengeful God.” This means that since one has acknowledged that if he does not walk on the path of bestowal he will immediately suffer revenge, he is guaranteed to keep himself from failing and entering the road that leads to self-love, since he knows he will lose his life, meaning that he will fall into a place of darkness and the shadow of death. At that time he says, “Extend Your mercy to those who know You,” who is a “Jealous and vengeful God.”

This is why they ask of the Creator to give them the mercy, for they know that otherwise they are doomed. Only through the mercy that the Creator will give them they will receive vessels of bestowal. This is regarded as a “dove.” But the raven, meaning the sweetness that they demand as a condition in their work, which is called “raven,” makes them cruel, meaning killing all their sons. That is, by measuring his work according to the sweetness that he feels in his work, when his only consideration is how his will to receive guides him, he loses all his future.

This is the meaning of “He gives to the beast its bread.” When does he give them bread, which is called “faith”? When the young of the raven cry. That is, they understand that the results, called “sons,” which are born to the raven, are destined to die, for it is separation from the life of lives. Then, when they call upon the Creator to help them, they call upon the Creator in truth. This is the meaning of what is written, “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.”

Inapoi la pagina 1985 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link