Article No. 33, 1989<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is written in The Zohar<\/em> (Shlach<\/em>, Item 18): \u201cI looked in this verse, since Solomon said, \u2018For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same. As one dies so dies the other, and there is one spirit to all,\u2019 for here there is an opening for the faithless. He replies, \u2018He repeats those words that the fools of the world say\u2014that this world is runs on chance and the Creator does not oversee them. Rather, the fate of man and the fate of beast is the same.\u2019 What did Solomon (tell) them? He said, \u2018Who knows the spirit of the sons of men, if it ascends upward? And the spirit of the beast, if it descends down to the earth?\u2019 Does it go up to the high place, and the spirit of the beast, does it descend down to the earth, as it is written about it, \u2018He has made man in the image of God,\u2019 and it is written, \u2018Man\u2019s soul, the Lord\u2019s candle.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It follows that there is a question: Since Solomon said, \u201cFor the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same. As one dies so dies the other, and there is one spirit to all,\u201d The Zohar<\/em> asks, Does this mean that Solomon opens a door to those who are faithless? It replies that Solomon said this in the eyes of the fools. When Solomon looked at the fools, he called them \u201cbeast,\u201d as it is written, \u201cI said to myself concerning the sons of men: \u2018God has sorted them to see that they are but beasts.\u2019\u201d \u201cSorted\u201d means that God sorts them out so they remain alone and do not connect to people and bring this view to people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What did Solomon reply to them? \u201cWho knows the spirit of the sons of men, if it ascends upward?\u201d meaning to a high place, a holy place, to feed on the upper light, while the spirit of the beast, which descends down to the earth, and not to that place that is for all the sons of men?<\/p>\n\n\n\n We should understand this in the work. That is, how we learn this in one person, who consists of all those states, meaning has all the questions. The thing is that when a person wants to begin to observe Torah and Mitzvot<\/em> [commandments\/good deeds], the person sends spies to spy on the work of the Creator to see if it is worthwhile. At that time the evil inclination shows him images of those who engage in Torah and Mitzvot<\/em>, that they are concerned only with their own benefit. They say that they are servants of the Creator, but he sees that they are working for themselves. The only difference is that they say that they want the Creator to pay for their work, and secular people say that they settle for payment from a person like himself. Yet, they all work for their own benefit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But we heard that you say that our sages said, \u201cThe wicked in their lives are called \u2018dead,\u2019\u201d for because the Creator is the giver, those who work for their own benefit are separated from the Life of Lives and are therefore called \u201cdead.\u201d They even present evidence to their words in what our sages said (Berachot<\/em> 17), \u201cAnyone who engages in Torah Lo<\/em> Lishma<\/em> [not for Her sake] is better off not being born.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Therefore, The Zohar<\/em> says about the spies within man that Solomon said about them, meaning repeated those words that the fools of the world say\u2014that this world runs on chance and the Creator does not watch over them, but rather the fate of man and the fate of beast are the same; as one dies, so dies the other, and all have the same spirit. That is, both are called \u201cdead\u201d; whether religious or secular, all work for their own sake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Solomon said, \u201cWho knows the spirit of the sons of men, if it ascends upward? And the spirit of the beast, if it descends down to the earth?\u201d That is, we must believe the words of our sages, who said (Pesachim<\/em> 50), \u201cOne should always engage in Torah and Mitzvot<\/em>, even if Lo<\/em> Lishma<\/em>, since from Lo<\/em> Lishma<\/em> he comes to Lishma<\/em> [for Her sake].\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Therefore, although when he begins the work, he begins Lo<\/em> Lishma<\/em>, meaning for his own sake, like the people who are as beasts, meaning engage only in beastly lusts, but those who engage in beastly lusts, what degree will they ultimately achieve? Solomon said about this that they will achieve the degree, \u201cthe spirit of the beast,\u201d which \u201cdescends down to the earth.\u201d That is, they will remain in earthliness, in vessels of reception for their own sake, which is the lowest thing, called \u201cearth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n But those who engage in Torah and Mitzvot<\/em>, although it is Lo<\/em> Lishma<\/em>, meaning for their own sake, still, from Lo<\/em> Lishma<\/em> he comes to Lishma<\/em>. For this reason, they will emerge from self-love and achieve equivalence of form called \u201cDvekut<\/em> [adhesion] with the Creator,\u201d and will be rewarded with life, as it is written, \u201cAnd you who cling to the Lord your God are alive every one of you this day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is why Solomon says, \u201cWho knows the spirit of the sons of men, if it ascends upward,\u201d to a high place? \u201cWho knows\u201d means we must believe in the words of our sages, who said, \u201cAnd from Lo<\/em> Lishma<\/em>, he comes to Lishma<\/em>,\u201d and \u201cHe who comes to purify is aided.\u201d Thus, he who knows how to appreciate this and believe in the words of our sages will therefore achieve Dvekut<\/em> with the Creator, which is regarded as \u201cthe spirit of man.\u201d That is, it is those who engage in the quality of \u201cman,\u201d although they are still in the quality of \u201cbeast,\u201d meaning still engaging only for their own benefit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Baal HaSulam interpreted the verse, \u201cwill give wisdom to the wise.\u201d A common question is, It should have said, \u201cwill give wisdom to the fools.\u201d He answered in regard to this, that he who wants to be wise is already called \u201cwise.\u201d But one who has no desire for wisdom is called a \u201cfool,\u201d as it is written, \u201cThe fool has no desire for understanding.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Therefore, those who want to be \u201cmen,\u201d as our sages said, \u201cYou are called \u2018men,\u2019 and the nations of the world are not called \u2018men,\u2019 where \u201cnations of the world\u201d means the self-love within a person; this is called \u201cthe nations of the world.\u201d But \u201cIsrael\u201d means Yashar-El<\/em> [straight to the Creator], meaning that within \u201cIsrael,\u201d everything he has is straight to the Creator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For this reason, one who wants to walk on the path toward achieving the quality of \u201cman,\u201d the verse says about him, \u201cthe spirit of the sons of men, if it ascends upward,\u201d to the high place, meaning to the Creator, as it is written about it, \u201cHe has made man in the image of God,\u201d and as it is written, \u201cMan\u2019s soul, the Lord\u2019s candle.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n This means that \u201cin the image of God\u201d means that as the Creator is the giver, so man should achieve this degree of being a giver. Yet, since man begins the work in Lo<\/em> Lishma<\/em>, how can he achieve the degree of a giver? The answer is as our sages said, \u201cHe who comes to purify is aided.\u201d The Zohar<\/em> asks, \u201cWith what?\u201d and it replies, \u201cwith a holy soul.\u201d That is, the Creator gives him a soul by which he receives the assistance. This is the meaning of \u201cMan\u2019s soul, God\u2019s candle.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is the meaning of the verse, \u201cI said to myself concerning the sons of men: \u2018God has sorted them.\u2019\u201d The Zohar<\/em> interprets that \u201csorted\u201d means that God sorted them out so they remain alone and do not connect to the sons of men, so they will not express this view to people. In the work, this means that a person should be careful from the argument of his spies, who want to bring him the view of the beast and say that he should not mind the view of man, meaning that the body can achieve the quality of man, and their beastly view does not let them consider the view of man. For this reason, Solomon warns them that they need extra care not to be lured after their view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is why he says, \u201csorted,\u201d meaning he sorted them so they remain alone. This means that the spies come with complaints that they have the same fate, meaning that both remain as \u201cdead,\u201d meaning separated, since they both work for their own sake, and both are called \u201cthe wicked in their lives are called \u2018dead.\u2019\u201d Yet, we must brace ourselves and not listen to the spies or look at their view when they say it is a waste of work since in any case, you will remain as \u201cthe wicked in their lives are called \u2018dead,\u2019\u201d so why work for nothing if you know you will not gain anything? By this, these fools, who are as beasts, govern man\u2019s body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But the main argument of the spies is that it is true that it would be worthwhile to work for the sake of the Creator if the taste of Torah and Mitzvot<\/em> were revealed, at least to the extent that the pleasure in beastly lusts is revealed. But we see that in Torah and Mitzvot<\/em>, of which we say that \u201cThey are our lives and the length of our days,\u201d we have no taste of feeling, while in beastly lusts we do feel the taste. So, why did the Creator place such a concealment before us? It would be better if the Creator revealed Himself to the lower ones. Why do we need to do everything in faith, since the path of faith pushes people away from walking in the path of the Creator? Therefore, the spies say, this way is completely unacceptable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Baal HaSulam said about this, that if the taste of Torah and Mitzvot<\/em> were revealed, it would be impossible to have free choice, meaning to do something for the sake of the Creator. In corporeal pleasures, we see that there, the ARI said that all the flavors we have in corporeality are but a tiny light compared to what is found in spirituality, and how difficult it is to direct them in order to bestow. Certainly, with great pleasures, it will be utterly impossible to observe them in order to bestow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We could ask, If His Providence were revealed in the form of The Good Who Does Good, all creations would annul before Him \u201cas a candle before a torch.\u201d The answer is that when the delight and pleasure are felt, the will to receive cannot look at the shame. Instead, it wants to receive despite the shame, just as in corporeal lusts, a person does not look at any shame, and the passion drives him to receive. Only afterward he regrets, meaning after the passion has left him, he begins to be ashamed of how he behaved like a beast, without any shame. This is the meaning of what our sages said, \u201cThe wicked are full of remorse,\u201d for in the work, \u201cwicked\u201d means that the person himself comes to feel that he is wicked. Then he begins to be ashamed of what he had done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is likewise in spirituality. If the delight and pleasure were revealed, the person would receive it in order to receive. Only afterward, once he has satisfied his wish, he would be ashamed. But he would have no way to correct himself. But while there is concealment, and a person begins to work with faith above reason, the person begins to exercise prohibiting self-reception. For this reason, once he has exerted in the work of bestowal, although the person cannot achieve this degree without help from above, when he asks for help, he asks to be given help to have the strength to receive in order to bestow. For this reason, it cannot be said that the person would see the greatness of the Creator and would annul before Him. Rather, he would receive a pleasure of the will to receive for himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But when a person first works in order to bestow during the period of concealment, he says to the Creator, \u201cI want to serve You unconditionally, even if I do not feel Your greatness. I want to believe that You are great and worth serving.\u201d It follows that he agrees to serve the Creator unconditionally. Although he cannot, he asks the Creator to give him this power to serve even without any feeling, but only for the sake of the Creator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When a person achieves this degree, where he is willing to work without any reward, our sages call this learning \u201cTorah Lishma<\/em>,\u201d without any reward. At that time, he is rewarded with the revelation of the secrets of Torah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At that time begins the work of the Masachim<\/em> [screens], when he can already see the meal. However, at that time he must calculate how much of the meal he can receive in order to bestow. That much he should take, and not more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It follows that we should discern here, for example, that he sees that he was given, for example, five dishes of food. Yet, he only sees them. He does not know how they taste because he has not tasted any of them. But since he is a faithful person, meaning he is certain that he will not receive in order to receive, he can already see the meal, since he has achieved the degree of not receiving in order to receive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For this reason, although he sees the meal, he still did not taste, prior to making a Zivug<\/em> de<\/em> Hakaa<\/em> [lit. coupling by striking] called the \u201cintention,\u201d how much of the meal he can receive in order to bestow. Once he has made the Zivug<\/em> de<\/em> Hakaa<\/em>, he tastes from the meal. But if he still cannot receive in order to bestow, the Tzimtzum<\/em> [restriction] and concealment are still on him and he cannot see a thing. Hence, precisely when a person can work without any reason or intellect, but only above reason, which is called Lishma<\/em>, then he is rewarded with the secrets of Torah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It follows that the primary sin of the spies is that although they do not lie, but tell the truth, for they speak according to their intellect and reason, therefore, the whole sin is that they do not believe that the Creator helps everyone, that we must believe that \u201cThe Lord supports all the fallen.\u201d If a person says that he is so lowly that the Creator cannot help him, he is blemishing the faith, for he does not believe that the Creator is almighty. In such states, when such thoughts come to a person, it is very difficult for him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And the hardest is that a person thinks he sees the truth. He does not blame anyone for his escaping from the campaign, but says, \u201cIt\u2019s true that the Creator is righteous, but what can I do if I haven\u2019t the power to overcome my will to receive, since my bad qualities are not like those of others? Therefore, I must leave the work and I have nothing more to hope for.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n But sometimes he says otherwise: \u201cI am not saying that my friends are better. Rather, it is that they do not really see the truth and think that they are doing something in spirituality. For this reason, they do not feel the situation in the current state\u2014that they are not moving one step forward. This is why they can continue the work and no lack is apparent in their work. This is why they are always content.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It does not matter what is the reason for which a person escapes the campaign. What matters is that at that time, it is difficult for a person to believe that the Creator can help everyone, that with respect to Him, it cannot be said that He can help only the great ones, but not the small ones. It follows that by this he blemishes the faith in the Creator. Instead, a person must believe what is said, that \u201cThe Lord supports all the fallen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It therefore follows that the matter of spies is for lack of faith. That is, all the faults they mention to a person: 1) That it is difficult because it contradicts the body\u2019s nature, since the body wants to exist, and here it is told that it must serve the Creator \u201cwith all your heart and with all your soul.\u201d This is from the perspective of the heart. 2) We must believe that all the work is based on a foundation that is above reason. Thus, how is it possible to walk on this path?<\/p>\n\n\n\n We therefore see that these spies are not lying. So what is the sin in the words of the spies, who slandered the land of Israel, as The Zohar<\/em> says, that the land of Israel means the kingdom of heaven, called \u201cthe land of Israel,\u201d and this pertains only to the quality of \u201cIsrael\u201d? But they said, \u201cWe do not see that it is possible to be rewarded with it for the two above reasons.\u201d Thus, the sin is that they did not believe in the greatness of the Creator, that He is almighty, and had no faith in the sages, who said, \u201cHe who comes to purify is aided.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hence, the correction is to pray to the Creator, that only He can help with this, and believe that \u201cYou hear the prayer of every mouth,\u201d as Baal HaSulam explained that \u201cevery mouth\u201d means even the lowest possible mouth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Article No. 33, 1989 It is written in The Zohar (Shlach, Item 18): \u201cI looked in this verse, since Solomon said, \u2018For […]<\/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-10882","book","type-book","status-publish","hentry","topic-rabash"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n