223- Entry into the Work

The entry into the work must be in Lo Lishma [not for Her sake], meaning that by believing in the Creator he will have a life of pleasure. This means that if he does this action called “faith,” it will give him elation and superior mental forces than when he does not perform this action.

It follows that this is a Segula [remedy/quality/power] by which he can taste greater flavors in quantity and quality than what he tastes while he is doing other things in order to receive pleasure.

This means that there are many ways to obtain pleasure, such as eating, drinking, and sleeping, or impressive clothes, or by doing things that make people respect him. Such actions are means by which he obtains pleasure.

Yet, the pleasures that these actions yield for him are limited in quantity and quality. Conversely, the Segula of faith brings him greater pleasure in quantity and quality.

All this is called Lo Lishma because his intention is only to obtain a greater pleasure.

Only after he achieves this degree called Lo Lishma, he is rewarded with other phenomena, when he comes to a higher state. That is, at that time he has no consideration of himself, and all his calculations and thoughts are the truth.

In other words, his aim is only to annul himself before the true reality, where he feels that he must only serve the King because he feels the exaltedness and greatness and importance of the King. At that time, he forgets, meaning he has no need to worry about himself, as his own self is annulled as a candle before a torch before the existence of the Creator that he feels. Then he is in a state of Lishma [for Her sake], meaning contentment to the Creator, and his concerns and yearnings are only about how he can delight the Creator, while his own existence, meaning the will to receive, does not merit a name whatsoever. Then he is regarded as “bestowing in order to bestow.”

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