Article No. 29, 1988<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our sages write in [Masechet<\/em>] Ketubot<\/em>: \u201cRabbi Hiya Bar Ashi said, \u2018Rav said, \u2018All infertile trees in the land of Israel are destined to bear fruit, as was said, \u2018For the tree has borne its fruit, the fig tree and the vine have yielded strength.\u2019\u2019\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The MAHARSHA interprets that \u201cAlthough it is an infertile tree, which by nature is unfit for yielding fruit, it will still bear fruit.\u201d We should understand what this teaches us in the work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Sulam<\/em> [Baal HaSulam’s commentary on The Zohar<\/em>], in its commentary on the \u201cEssay about Letters\u201d (\u201cIntroduction of The Book of Zohar,\u201d Item 23) writes, \u201cIt is known that God has made them one opposite the other. As there are four worlds ABYA<\/em> de<\/em> [of] Kedusha<\/em> [holiness\/sanctity], there are four worlds ABYA<\/em> de<\/em> Tuma\u2019a<\/em> [impurity] opposite them. Hence, in the world of Assiya<\/em> there is no distinction between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him. Accordingly, how can we tell good from evil? However, there is one, very important scrutiny, which is that another god is barren and does not bear fruit. Hence, those who fail in him and walk by the path of ABYA<\/em> de<\/em> Tuma\u2019a<\/em>, their source dries out and they have no blessing of spiritual fruits. Thus, they wither away until they shut completely. The opposite is those who adhere to Kedusha<\/em>. Their works are blessed, \u2018As a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.\u2019 This is the only scrutiny in the world of Assiya<\/em> to know if he is in Kedusha<\/em> or to the contrary.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n We should understand the meaning of \u201cfruits\u201d in spirituality. The word \u201cfruits\u201d is used to mean \u201cprofits,\u201d similar to saying, \u201cI struck a big deal but it is yet to bear fruit.\u201d It means that he is still not making profit out of it. In work matters, we should interpret that when a person begins to take on the burden of Torah and Mitzvot<\/em> [commandments\/good deeds], the understanding he has about fear of heaven and the importance of the Mitzvot<\/em>, and especially the importance of the Torah, when he is at the age of twenty or thirty, he does not know much about the work of the Creator, meaning what is fear of heaven and what is the feeling in Torah and Mitzvot<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although he sees that he has already acquired the possession of several years of engagement in Torah and Mitzvot<\/em>, he has not progressed in the understanding that he had since he became obliged to engage in Torah and Mitzvot<\/em>. That is, he thought that as he grows up, he would probably have different intentions than when he first began the work of the Creator. However, he has remained in the same intention and he agrees to the general view that says about him, when they see that he observes Torah and Mitzvot<\/em> in all its details and intricacies, they respect him and exalt him and honor him for his work in Torah and Mitzvot<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Therefore, he is in a state of \u201cThe whole world tells you that you are righteous.\u201d For this reason, he can never achieve wholeness, called \u201cserving the Creator.\u201d He remains \u201ca servant of himself.\u201d That is, all the work he does is for his own benefit. This is called \u201cnot serving Him.\u201d Instead, he is working for himself and not for the Creator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In work matters, it is impossible to become a servant of the Creator before we come to a state of \u201cnot serving Him,\u201d for they are two degrees and it is impossible to rise to a higher level before one is on the lower level. Rather, first one enters the degree called \u201cnot serving Him.\u201d That is, a person must come to feel that as long as he is working for his own benefit, it is called \u201cnot serving Him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, \u201cnot serving Him\u201d does not mean that he sees that he is in a state of Lo<\/em> Lishma<\/em> [not for Her sake], which is called in the work, \u201cnot serving Him.\u201d He accepts the situation regardless of the excuses he has for this, since the reasons do not change the situation. Therefore, if he agrees to remain in that state, it is regarded as still not being in a state of \u201cnot serving Him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n When he sees that he is in a state of \u201cnot serving Him,\u201d he seeks advice to emerge from it, both by books and by authors. It pains him that he is in such lowliness and so immersed in self-love that he cannot emerge from this control, and he fears that he will stay this way forever. This is called being in a state of \u201cnot serving Him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, we should ask, How should one name the situation where he sees that he is in a state of \u201cnot serving Him\u201d? That is, when a person comes to that state where he sees that he is immersed in self-love, and all the beastly lusts awaken in him\u2014such that he has never dreamed of\u2014in a state of \u201cnot serving Him,\u201d such thoughts and desires awaken that according to the work he has invested, which he exerted in order to be rewarded with Kedusha<\/em> [holiness\/sanctity] and for which he should have at least seen that although he has not been rewarded with Kedusha<\/em>, he should have seen himself liberated from beastly lusts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Otherwise, he asks, Our sages said, \u201cThe reward matches the pain,\u201d meaning that a person is rewarded according to the effort he has made. Yet, now he sees that he made the effort, but what reward did he receive? That he has become worse. Before he began the work of bestowal, he knew that he was a worker of the Creator. Although he knew even then that there are higher degrees, meaning those who work Lishma<\/em> [for Her sake], he knew that work Lishma<\/em> was meant for a chosen few. At that time he was certain that although he was not counted among the chosen few, he was regarded as a worker of the Creator like the rest of his environment. But now that he wants to work for the sake of the Creator, he is regressing. That is, he feels that he is worse than before. This brings up the question, Where is what our sages said, \u201cThe reward matches the pain\u201d?<\/p>\n\n\n\n The truth is, as Baal HaSulam said, that because he has invested much effort to be rewarded with a little bit of Kedusha<\/em>, by this he was rewarded with attaining the quality of truth. That is, he was rewarded from above with awareness of his true state\u2014how the evil within him, meaning the will to receive for himself is so worldly and remote from the Creator. This means that before he began the work, he could not understand the lowliness of his state whatsoever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rather, as we said in previous articles, The Zohar<\/em> interprets the verse, \u201cif his sin is made known to him,\u201d that the Creator tells him that he has sinned, or the Torah notifies him that he has sinned. For himself, a person cannot see the evil in him, since a person is close to himself and is biased, and it is written that \u201cbribe blinds the eyes of the wise,\u201d and the blind do not see. For this reason, a person cannot see the evil in him by himself. Instead, he is notified from above, which, in the words of The Zohar<\/em>, is regarded as the Torah or the Creator notifying him. Both are made clear to us by one matter, meaning that it comes from above and not from himself, since recognition of evil is knowledge from above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By this we can interpret what people ask: On one hand, our sages said (Nida<\/em> 30b), \u201cHe is sworn, \u2018Be righteous and do not be wicked, and even if the whole world tells you that you are righteous, be wicked in your own eyes.\u2019\u201d They ask, But the Mishnah (Avot<\/em>, Chapter 2) says, \u201cDo not be wicked in your own eyes,\u201d so how come they say, \u201cBe wicked in your own eyes\u201d?<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are many answers to this. According to the above said, recognition of evil comes from above, and a person cannot come to the recognition of evil unless he has exerted in Torah and Mitzvot<\/em> in order to come to work for the sake of the Creator. At that time he is shown from above the evil, and only then can he see that he is wicked. Naturally, in such a state, when he is shown from above that he is wicked, although judging by his actions, he seems righteous to the world, since no one can know what another has been shown from above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was said about this: \u201cEven if the whole world tells you that you are righteous,\u201d since they do not know you, meaning your intentions, you should still know the truth. For this reason, they said, \u201cBe wicked in your own eyes.\u201d \u201cIn your own eyes\u201d means not as the world regards your externality. Rather, \u201cin your own eyes\u201d means the form of the intention, which none can see but you. This is called \u201cin your own eyes.\u201d Then, you will see that you are wicked, as it is written, \u201cBe wicked in your own eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, as said above, a person cannot see the truth, that he is wicked, until he has made great efforts in Torah and Mitzvot<\/em> in order to achieve the truth. At that time he is shown from above the truth that he is in a state of \u201cnot serving Him.\u201d But by himself, without help from above, a person cannot see that he is wicked. This is the meaning of what is written, \u201cDo not be wicked in your own eyes.\u201d This means that from his own perspective, a person cannot be wicked. Rather, this requires help from above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For this reason, a person must ask the Creator to let him know the truth about his state in spirituality, where he is, meaning if he is among those who are called \u201cservants of the Creator,\u201d or among those who are called \u201cnot serving Him.\u201d But by himself, a person cannot know. This is why they said, \u201cDo not be wicked in your own eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now we will explain what we asked, How should one name the situation he is in, if he sees that he really is in a state of \u201cnot serving Him,\u201d meaning if he is not moving at all in the work but is regressing and his work has been in vain, without any profits? He should believe in what our sages said, \u201cThe reward matches the pain,\u201d but he evidently sees that it would be better if he did not begin this work of bestowal in the first place. He sees that he is only descending in the work, and not ascending. Accordingly, the state of \u201cnot serving Him\u201d should have been named \u201ca descent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, according to what we said, that it is impossible to achieve a higher degree prior to attaining a lower one, regarded as \u201cnot serving Him,\u201d it follows that that state is not regarded as a \u201cstate of descent,\u201d but rather as a \u201cstate of ascent,\u201d for such is the way: The lower degree is the reason and the cause of the upper degree. Therefore, this descent, when he feels that he is in a state of descent, causes him to ascend to a higher degree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That is, \u201cthe reward matches the pain.\u201d In other words, to the extent that he suffers from being in a state of \u201cnot serving Him,\u201d it causes him to seek counsel and advice to emerge from that state and ascend to a higher degree, called \u201cserving the Creator.\u201d For this reason, that state is called \u201ca time of ascent,\u201d and it is called \u201ca state of progress toward the goal.\u201d However, even at a time of \u201cnot serving Him\u201d there are ups and downs, and these descents are also regarded as ascents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Explanation: A descent causes a person to see the state of the bad in him\u2014to what he might come, meaning to what lowliness it might bring a person. That is, during an ascent, when a person has passion for Torah and prayer, and he thinks that now he is among the servants of the Creator and he no longer needs the Creator to help him out of his evil inclination since he feels good taste in the work, he looks at the times he was in descent and is ashamed of himself. It pains him very much if he remembers his descents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But suddenly he falls \u201cfrom the rooftop to the deep pit.\u201d That is, he feels from a state of thinking that he was already in heaven into seeing that he is already in a deep pit. Moreover, he does not remember how he fell into the pit and for what reason. Once he falls into the pit, he is there unconscious, meaning he does not feel how he has fallen into the pit. However, after some time he recovers and begins to feel that he is in the pit. The recovery time may take a minute, or an hour, or a day or two days, or a month, until he regains consciousness and sees the lowliness that he was in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Afterward, he is given once more from above a desire and craving for the work. Once more, he is in a state of ascent, and this is the time that he can enjoy the descent. That is, during the ascent he can know the benefits from experiencing the descent, since according to what is said, the punishments given to a person are not as with a flesh and blood king, who avenges the person not following the king\u2019s orders. Rather, here there is a matter of correction. Thus, what benefit can he say that he has from the descents?<\/p>\n\n\n\n The answer is that the descent was not given to man so he would learn from the descent while he is in descent. During the descent he is unconscious. That is, he does not feel that he is in descent, since at that time there is no living being to feel some lack in vitality of Kedusha<\/em>, since he has lost the awareness that there is spirituality in anyone in the world, and all his thoughts are only about life in self-love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That is, since it is known that without life, it is impossible to live, therefore, each one chooses the right clothing from which to elicit life, which is called \u201cpleasure,\u201d since there is no life without pleasure. When a person cannot find pleasure in his life, he immediately chooses death, which is called \u201ccommitting suicide.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Therefore, during the descent, when he finds pleasure in some clothing, it does not matter to him what is the clothing, but how much pleasure he can derive from this clothing. This is called that at that time he does not think about spirituality, since the pleasure he receives makes him forget everything else, for he is completely preoccupied with continuing to obtain the pleasures in the dresses that suit his spirit at the time. In this he is immersed. At that time, he has no thoughts that there is such a reality called \u201cservice of the Creator,\u201d since a descent is called \u201cdeath.\u201d That is, the little bit of spirituality when he was somewhat adhered to Kedusha<\/em> has departed from him. For this reason, at that time he is regarded as \u201cdead,\u201d without vitality of Kedusha<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, afterward, he wakes up and begins to see that he is devoid of spiritual life. His awakening from the descent is called \u201cthe revival of the dead,\u201d when he begins to feel that he is deficient of life. Conversely, one who is dead does not feel that he is deficient of life so as to want to be awarded life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yet, the question is, Who revived him? The answer to this is \u201cA King who puts to death and brings to life.\u201d And why do we need this? The answer is \u201cand brings forth salvation.\u201d This means that by the Creator giving him a descent, called \u201cputting to death,\u201d on the one hand, and on the other hand, by giving an ascent, called \u201cand brings to life,\u201d by this comes salvation, as it is written, \u201cand brings forth salvation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thus, when does one learn and profit from the descent? Certainly not during the descent, for then he is dead. However, afterward, when the Creator revives him, meaning gives him an ascent, this is the time to learn what happened to him during the descent, meaning in what lowliness he was, what he craved and what he expected\u2014that if he were to have it, he would feel like a complete human being. At that time he sees that his entire life of being in descent was nothing short of the life of an animal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let us take, for example, when trash is thrown in the garbage. When the cats in the area feel that there is some leftovers of an animal that was thrown in the trash, they find it and eat it. With the strength from eating, each of them runs to its place to obtain other pleasures. If a person observes during the ascent, he understands that it is not worthwhile to occupy his mind and heart in beastly lusts. In his current eyes, it is complete trash. When he looks at such a life, it makes him so nauseous that he wants to vomit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It follows that the great benefit from this descent is that he sees his own lowliness, to what state he might come, and that only the Creator has brought him out of that lowliness. This is the time to see the greatness of the Creator, that He can bring a person \u201cout of the miry clay,\u201d where he could drown and remain forever in the hands of the Sitra<\/em> Achra<\/em> [other side], and only the Creator has brought him out of there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Accordingly, we can see that during the ascent, a person should read everything that is written about the time of descent. From this reading he will know how to ask the Creator for his soul so He will not throw him once again into the trash. Also, he will know how to thank the Creator for raising him from the bottomless pit, as it was said, \u201cA king who puts to death and brings to life, and brings forth salvation.\u201d That is, salvation grows out of the descents and ascents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thus, after he has completed the first stage, called \u201cnot serving Him,\u201d begins the time of being \u201ca servant of the Creator.\u201d That is, once he has tried every advice and tactic to exit the state of \u201cnot serving Him,\u201d he receives help from above, as it is written in The Zohar<\/em>, \u201cHe who comes to purify is aided,\u201d by giving him \u201ca holy soul.\u201d By this he emerges from the governance of self-love and can work only in order to bestow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thus, how can a person come to be a servant of the Creator? By being rewarded with a soul from above. This is regarded that now he is bearing fruit. And what is the fruit? It is that he has been rewarded with a soul. This is the fruit. In other words, a person must know that before he was rewarded with fruits, called \u201ca soul,\u201d he cannot be a servant of the Creator. Rather, he must be serving himself, which is called \u201cnot serving Him,\u201d for the above reason that a person cannot go against the nature in which he was born, which is self-love. Rather, only the Creator can make this miracle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By this we should interpret what our sages said, \u201cAll infertile trees in the land of Israel are destined to bear fruit.\u201d That is, once a person has been rewarded with Eretz<\/em> Yashar-El<\/em> [Land of Israel], by being rewarded with a soul, everything becomes corrected, meaning even the quality of \u201cinfertile trees,\u201d which do not bear fruit. This refers to the time of \u201cnot serving Him\u201d\u2014that it also receives correction, as in \u201csins become to him as merits.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In other words, it is impossible to be a servant of the Creator before one feels that he is in a state of \u201cnot serving Him.\u201d That is, through the descents and ascents he had while in a state of self-love, these ascents and descents were stages and degrees so he would be able to climb up to the place of wholeness, and then everything enters Kedusha<\/em> because all those things helped him achieve wholeness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now we can understand that \u201cinfertile trees,\u201d which are naturally unfit to bear fruit, will still bear fruit. That is, when a person is in Lo<\/em> Lishma<\/em>, that state is far from bearing fruit, meaning with being rewarded with understanding in work and Torah, regarded as being rewarded with entering the King\u2019s palace. But in a state of Lo<\/em> Lishma<\/em>, it is to the contrary: He moves himself away from Dvekut<\/em> [adhesion] with the Creator. Still, after he has been rewarded with entering the land of Israel, all the Lo<\/em> Lishma<\/em>, called \u201cinfertile trees,\u201d will bear fruit, meaning that the upper light, called \u201ca soul,\u201d will be on those Kelim<\/em>, as well, since everything comes into Kedusha<\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Article No. 29, 1988 Our sages write in [Masechet] Ketubot: \u201cRabbi Hiya Bar Ashi said, \u2018Rav said, \u2018All infertile trees in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"parent":6243,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}}},"topic":[26],"class_list":["post-10720","book","type-book","status-publish","hentry","topic-rabash"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n