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It is written that there is none else beside Him, meaning there
is no other power in the world with the ability to do anything
against Him.
And what man sees, namely, that there are things in the world
which deny the household of Above, is of the reason that this is
His will.
And this is to be considered from the aspect of correction,
which is also called to repel with the left and beckon with the
right. The left rejects and the right draws closer, i.e., that
which the left rejects is included in the correction.
This means that there are things in the world which from the
beginning come with the intention of diverting a person from the
right way, and by which he is rejected from holiness.
The benefit derived from these repeated rejections is that
through this process a person receives a need and a complete
desire for the Creator to help him, since he sees that otherwise
he is lost.
For not only doesn't he progress in his work, he also sees
that he regresses, and he lacks the strength to do good deeds
even if not for their own sake. And only by truly overcoming all
obstacles, which is above reason, can he do good deeds.
But he doesn't always have the power to overcome that which is
above reason. Without this power he must deviate from the
Creators way, and even from that taken not for its own sake.
And it is always with him that the broken part is larger than
the whole, meaning that there are many more descents than
ascents.
And he does not see in this that there will be an end to his
predicament, but rather sees himself standing forever outside of
holiness. For he sees that it is difficult for him to observe
even as little as a jot, unless he overcomes that which is above
reason; but then again, he is not always able to overcome.
And what shall be the end of it all?
Then he reaches the decision that there is no one to help him
other than the Creator Himself.
This causes him to make a heartfelt demand of the Creator to
open his eyes and heart, to bring him nearer to an eternal
attachment to Creator.
Hence it is found that all the repeated rejections he had
experienced had come from the Creator.
He experienced these rejections not because he was at fault
or because of a lack of ability to overcome, but because these
rejections are for those who really want to get closer to the
Creator. And in order for such a person not to be satisfied with
only a little, namely, not to remain as a little child without
knowledge, he receives help from above. Then he will not be able
to say Thank God, all is well because he believes he needs to do
little else.
And only if a person has a true desire, will he receive help
from Above. And he is always shown how he is at fault in his
present state; that is, he is sent thoughts and views which work
against his efforts.
This is in order for him to see that he is not in harmony (in
a state of wholeness) with the Creator.
And as much as he overcomes, he always sees how he is found
in a position farther from holiness than the others, who serve
the Creator and feel they are in a state of wholeness with the
Creator.
But this is not the case with him; he always has his
complaints and demands, and he cannot excuse the Creator's
behavior, and how he behaves toward him, and it pains him that
he is not in harmony (at peace) with the Creator.
Until he comes to feel that he has no part in holiness
whatsoever.
Even if he sometimes receives some awakening from Above,
which momentarily revives him, he soon falls into an abyss.
However, this is the reason which causes him to come to a
recognition that only the Creator can help him and really draw
him closer.
A man must always try to walk the way of being attached to
the Creator, namely, that all his thoughts will be about Him.
That is to say, that even if he is in the worst state, from
which a greater descent cannot be possible, he should not come
out of His domain, namely, think that there is another authority
which prevents him from entering into holiness, and it is within
its power to either do good or evil.
That is, he must not think that there is a matter of the
power of the Other Side (sitra achrah), which does not allow man
to do good deeds and to walk the Creator's ways; but he should
think that all is done by the Creator.
And this is as said by the Kabbalists, that he who says that
there is another power in the world. kelipot, is in the phase of
thou have worshipped other gods, and he is committing a felony,
and not necessarily by thoughts of heresy. But if he thinks that
there is another authority and power except or aside from the
Creator, then he is committing a felony.
Furthermore, he who says that man has an authority in and of
himself, namely, he says that yesterday he did not want to go in
the Creator's ways, is too considered to be committing the
felony of heresy. That is, he does not believe that only the
Creator rules the world.
When he has committed a felony, he must regret it and show
remorse, and the laws of sorrow and pain must be set in order.
What is the point at which he committed the wrong?
Or more simply: What is the reason, what caused this felony?
It is with regard to this point that he should feel sorrow.
And a man should then feel sorry and say, Because I committed
this felony the Creator hurled me down from holiness to a place
of dire lowliness.
That is to say that Creator has given him the will and the
desire to divert himself and to find relief.
(Sometimes a man accepts the will and desire to receive
vitality from things that he has already pronounced to be
castoffs, and now he wants to receive nourishment from them once
again.)
When a man feels that he is in a phase of ascent, and feels
some reward from his work, he must not say, Now I am in a state
where I understand that it is worthwhile to be the Creator's
worker.
Rather he should know that he has now found favor (grace in
the eyes of the Creator); therefore, the Creator draws him
closer, and this is why he now senses reward from his work.
He should be careful never to leave the domain of holiness,
never to say that there is another operating force besides the
Creator.
This means that the matter of finding favor in the Creator's
eyes, or the contrary, does not depend on man himself, but that
all depends on the Creator.
And why is it that he now finds favor in the eyes of Creator
while later it may not be so?
This a man cannot comprehend with his external mind.
And likewise when he regrets that the Creator doesn't draw
him closer, he should be careful not to be sorry for himself
should he become distant from the Creator.
For by so doing he becomes a recipient for his own benefit
rather than for the sake of the Creator.
This creates a state of separation from the Creator.
A person needs to feel distress over the exile of the Divine
Presence, meaning, for causing the distress of the Divine
Presence.
As an example, a person may feel a singular pain in one organ
but the pain is mainly felt in the mind and heart, for the mind
and the heart are all of man (the entirety of man).
And surely, the value of pain of an individual is unlike the
value of pain of the whole as felt in the mind and the heart.
Likewise is the pain of a person when it is compared to the
pain of the Divine Presence - which is the generality of souls.
The Divine Presence has a sorrow since her organs are
distanced from her and thus they cannot be sustained by her.
And if a man thinks of the sorrow of being distant from G-d
as not his own, then he is saved from falling into the trap of
the desire to receive for himself, which is the cause of
separation from holiness.
When a man feels that he is somewhat closer to holiness and
that he has the joy of meriting favor in the eyes of the
Creator, he must recognize that the core of his joy is that now
there is joy in the Divine Presence.
And from having the privilege of bringing joy to the Divine
Presence, man himself receives joy.
That there is joy to the individual is only a part of there
being a joy to the generality.
And by these considerations, he loses his particularity,
i.e., the quality of being a separate part from the Divine
Presence. He does not get caught in the trap of the other side,
sitra achrah, which is a willfulness to receive for his own
sake.
However, the desire to receive is a necessary thing. It is
all that which constitutes a person, since anything which exists
in a person except the desire to receive is attributed to the
Creator. Nevertheless, the desire to receive pleasure should be
corrected to a form of bestowal.
The pleasure and joy taken by the desire to receive should be
intended as the contentment which is felt Above. And created
beings receive pleasure, since it is the purpose of the Creator
to benefit His creations.
And this is called the joy of the Divine Presence above.
For this reason, a man must seek advice as to how he can he
cause contentment Above. Certainly, if he receives pleasure,
contentment shall be felt Above.
Therefore, he should long to always be in the King's Temple,
and to have the ability to play with the King's treasures.
It follows that his entire longing should be for the sake of
the Creator. |
