Article No. 33, 1991<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our sages said (Midrash Rabbah<\/em>, Chapter 11:7) about the verse, \u201cThe Lord will turn His face to you [favor you]\u201d: \u201cOne verse says, \u2018The Lord will favor you,\u2019 and another verse says, \u2018who does not turn His face [favor].\u2019 How can these two verses be reconciled? When Israel do the Creator\u2019s will, \u2018The Lord will favor you.\u2019 When they do not do the Creator\u2019s will, \u2018who does not favor.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n We should understand this. If Israel do the Creator\u2019s will, why is being favored needed? To understand what they explained, we first need to understand what is the \u201cwill of the Creator\u201d and what is the \u201cface of the Creator.\u201d We learn that the Creator\u2019s will is to bestow, as it is written, that the purpose of creation is His desire to do good to His creations, meaning to bestow upon them delight and pleasure. The face of the Creator is called \u201crevelation of the face,\u201d when one is rewarded with attaining open Providence, that the Creator leads the world as The Good Who Does Good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is written (\u201cIntroduction to The Study of the Ten Sefirot,\u201d Item 83), \u201cThe first degree of the revelation of the face is the attainment of the Providence of reward and punishment in utter clarity. This comes to a person only through His salvation, when one is awarded the opening of eyes in the Holy Torah in wonderful attainment, and becomes \u2018a flowing spring.\u2019 In any Mitzva<\/em> [commandment\/good deed] in the Holy Torah that one has kept of his own labor and choice, one is granted seeing the reward of the Mitzva<\/em> intended for him in the next world, as well as the great loss in the transgression.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the above, we should interpret what we asked about what is written here, that \u201cThose who do the Creator\u2019s will, He favors them,\u201d if they are doing the Creator\u2019s will, why do they need \u201cThe Lord will favor you\u201d?<\/p>\n\n\n\n The thing is that the face of the Creator is revelation of His guidance as a guidance of good and doing good. Since there was a correction that before one corrects the will to receive so as to work in order to bestow, there will be concealment and hiding on His Providence. Hence, before one achieves the state of \u201cdoers of His will,\u201d meaning that as the Creator\u2019s will is to bestow, so man should come to want to bestow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When there is equivalence of form, the Creator can give him the revelation of His face, which is the opening of the eyes in the Torah, and he is rewarded with the attainment that the Creator leads the world in a manner of good and doing good. But this can be only after one does the will of the Creator, meaning that one has been rewarded with desire to bestow, for specifically then the Tzimtzum<\/em> [restriction] and concealment are lifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before Israel do the Creator\u2019s will, when they rather want the Creator to give them everything in vessels of reception, which is the opposite of the Creator\u2019s will, whose desire is to bestow, there must be guidance in a manner of \u201cwho will not favor,\u201d but in the manner of Achoraim<\/em> [posterior], called \u201cthe concealment of the face of the Creator.\u201d This is regarded as \u201cwho will not favor,\u201d and it is because of the correction that there will not be the matter of shame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Likewise, we should interpret the above verse in relation to the time of the beginning of the work, before one has been rewarded with being among those who have been rewarded with \u201cdoing the Creator\u2019s will.\u201d We should interpret \u201cdoers of His will\u201d to mean those who are walking on the path to achieve being among those who do the Creator\u2019s will, since when they walk on this path, they are already named after the road on which they walk. This is as Baal HaSulam said about what is written, \u201cwill give wisdom to the wise.\u201d He asked, \u201cIt should have said, \u2018will give wisdom to the fools.\u2019\u201d And he said that this refers to those who already want wisdom; they are already called \u201cwise\u201d because they are walking on the path toward obtaining wisdom. And since they are giving an awakening from below, they are given wisdom from above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is likewise here: When they want to achieve the power of the desire to bestow, this is regarded as doing the Creator\u2019s will. According to the rule, \u201cHe who comes to purify is aided,\u201d they are given help from the Creator. For this reason, the writing tells them \u201cThe Lord will favor you,\u201d meaning the Creator shines His face to them, namely helps them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And what is the help? This is as it is written in The Zohar<\/em>, \u201cHe who comes to purify is aided.\u201d He asks, \u201cWith what?\u201d The reply is \u201cwith a holy soul,\u201d which is called \u201cthe face of the Creator,\u201d as it is written, \u201cFor by the light of Your face you have given us the law [Torah] of life and the love of mercy [Hesed<\/em>].\u201d In other words, through the light of the face, they receive the love of Hesed<\/em>, which is bestowal. That is, the Creator gives them the strength to love Hesed<\/em>, meaning to love being a giver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is called \u201cThe Lord will turn His face to you [favor you] and will give you peace.\u201d Peace means as it is written (Psalms 85), \u201cI will hear what the Lord God shall speak, for He shall speak peace unto His people, and let them not turn back to folly.\u201d It follows that \u201cpeace\u201d means that the Creator says \u201cpeace,\u201d that he will not sin again, and he is rewarded with being at peace with the Creator. This is the meaning of \u201cWhen they do the Creator\u2019s will,\u201d they receive the assistance of the Creator, as it says, \u201cThe Lord will favor you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n But \u201cwhen they do not do the Creator\u2019s will,\u201d when they are not walking on the path toward achieving the desire of the Creator, which is the desire to bestow, it is said about them, \u201cwho does not favor.\u201d That is, He cannot help them by satisfying their wish, since their wish is the opposite of Kedusha<\/em> [holiness], so how can He give them something that contradicts the Creator\u2019s will, since all that one should do in the work is correct his actions so they are in order to bestow? If the Creator favors them, meaning that they receive help so they work for the will to receive for themselves, it is as though the Creator is failing them. Hence, the Creator helps them by not favoring them, so they do not remain in self-love. It was said about this, \u201cHe who comes to defile, it is opened for him,\u201d but he is not helped, unlike when he comes to purify, who is assisted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now we can understand the meaning of repentance. What should one reply, since Teshuva<\/em> [repentance\/answer\/returning] means that he received something and must (return) what he received? The thing is that since man is born with a nature that is the will to receive for his own benefit, when he wants to work only for man\u2019s sake, meaning that he wants the Creator to fill his vessels of reception, a person should repent on this, meaning do everything for the sake of the Creator. In other words, what he receives, he does not want to receive for his own sake, but rather all that he receives is in order to bring contentment to the Creator. Since the Creator wants man to receive, as it is written, \u201cHis desire is to do good to His creations,\u201d it follows that all that he receives is only in order to return. Otherwise, he does not want to receive. This is Teshuva<\/em> [to return], meaning he returns everything that he receives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is as it is written in The Zohar<\/em> (Nasso<\/em>, Item 28), \u201cAnyone who repents, it is as though he returned the letter Hey<\/em>, which is Malchut<\/em>, to the letter Vav<\/em>, which is ZA<\/em>, who is the son of Yod<\/em>–Hey<\/em>, completing the HaVaYaH<\/em>. This is certainly repentance, for it is the letters of \u2018The Hey<\/em> shall return to the Vav<\/em>.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n And in The Zohar<\/em> (Nasso<\/em>, Item 31), it says, \u201cThis repentance, which is Malchut<\/em> and the Hey<\/em> of HaVaYaH<\/em>, is called \u2018life,\u2019 as it is written, \u2018for from it is the offshoot of life,\u2019 which are the soul of Israel, the offshoot of Malchut<\/em>, who is called \u2018life.\u2019 She is a Hevel<\/em> [mouth\/breath] that goes out and into a person\u2019s mouth without toil and without labor, which is the Hey<\/em> of BeHibaram<\/em> [when they were created], for the letter Hey<\/em> is expressed by the mouth more easily than all the letters, and it was said about it, \u2018And the image of the Lord does he behold,\u2019 since Malchut<\/em> is called \u2018the image of the Lord.\u2019 Also, \u2018Only in the shadow shall one walk,\u2019 and because it is on the man\u2019s head, he must not walk four cubits bareheaded, since if it departs from over man\u2019s head, life immediately departs from him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n We should interpret the words of The Zohar<\/em> when it says that repentance means the return of the Hey<\/em> to the Vav<\/em>. The thing is that all of our work is to take upon ourselves the burden of the kingdom of heaven although it is concealed and hidden. That is, although the thought of creation is to do good to His creations, there was a Tzimtzum<\/em> and concealment on the kingdom of heaven so there would be room for choice, meaning that man would be able to say that he does not accept the burden of the kingdom of heaven out of self-love, but in order to bring contentment to his Maker. If the King were revealed, man would accept the revelation of the King because of self-love, since we must believe that there is no greater pleasure in the world than to see the King\u2019s face. It follows that at the time of the acceptance of the kingdom of heaven, man was compelled to be separated due to disparity of form, as it is known that disparity causes separation in spirituality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It follows that this concealment causes that it is difficult for us to assume the burden of the kingdom of heaven and believe that His guidance is in a manner of good and doing good. Only when one walks on the path toward achieving equivalence of form, meaning that all his actions will be for the sake of the Creator, to the extent that his aim is to bestow, to that extent the concealment and Tzimtzum<\/em> [restriction] are removed from him. At that time, a person can obtain the delight and pleasure, since then he receives in the manner of Ohr Hozer<\/em> [Reflected Light], meaning that he enjoys only because he wants to bring contentment to his Maker. Hence, the reception of pleasure does not inflict separation. In that state, a person receives the abundance, according to the rule, \u201cMore than the calf wants to eat, the cow wants to feed.\u201d Then, a person has no more work to obtain anything because the upper one can already give because he already has the Kelim<\/em> [vessels] of equivalence of form. It follows that the heart of man\u2019s work is to obtain vessels of bestowal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the above, we should interpret what is repentance, when he says, \u201cthe Hey<\/em>, which is Malchut<\/em>, shall return,\u201d as she is separated from the name HaVaYaH<\/em>. That is, Malchut<\/em>, which is the totality of the souls and should provide for all the souls. If the created beings work (as) they must, meaning doing everything in order to bestow, each of them causes a desire to bestow at the root of his soul. At that time, Malchut<\/em> receives equivalence of form with the Creator, who is the Giver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It follows that the abundance pours down to the creatures without any toil and labor, as in the words of The Zohar<\/em>, since the giving of the abundance belongs to the Creator. He will give, and man will have no work to obtain it. Rather, all of man\u2019s work is on the Kelim<\/em>, so they will have equivalence of form. This is called \u201cthe work of the earth,\u201d meaning that the work is for their kingdom of heaven to work in order to bestow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is as it is written (Berachot<\/em> 33), \u201cEverything is in the hands of heaven but the fear of heaven.\u201d We should interpret that \u201ceverything\u201d means the filling that the Creator gives. There are many kinds in the abundance, but in general, they are called NRNHY<\/em>, or Hochma<\/em>, or Hassadim<\/em>. The Creator gives all those without any labor on the part of man, other than fear of heaven, where fear means that one must work to have fear that he might not be able to work in order to bestow. This pertains to man\u2019s work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In other words, a person is afraid he might not be able to aim in order to bestow. We attribute the matter of not receiving to man, and the matter of giving, we attribute to the Creator. It follows that fear of heaven means he is afraid to receive, since he might thereby come to separation from the Creator. This work, (we) attribute to man. That is, all of man\u2019s work is to obtain vessels of bestowal, but it is not upon man to seek advice how to obtain abundance, since we need not worry about this. Rather, all our worries should be how to obtain the desire to bestow, since Malchut<\/em>, who is called \u201clife,\u201d from her are the offshoot of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is after one has obtained the vessels of bestowal, by returning the Malchut<\/em>, called \u201cthe receiving Kli<\/em>,\u201d to now be as a \u201cgiving Kli<\/em>,\u201d meaning that the created beings have corrected at the root of their souls, which is Malchut<\/em>, that she will work in order to bestow and not to receive. At that time, Malchut<\/em> bestows upon them life, as it is written, \u201cfor from it is the offshoot of life.\u201d This, one receives without toil and without labor, which is the meaning of the Hey<\/em> of BeHibraam<\/em> [when they were created]. In other words, once a person has corrected the Malchut<\/em>, which is the final Hey<\/em>, into equivalence of form with the Yod<\/em>–Hey<\/em>–Vav<\/em>, the abundance extends to the man who has corrected her without toil or labor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is the meaning of saying \u201cIt was said about her, \u2018and the image of the Lord does he behold,\u2019\u201d since Malchut<\/em> is called \u201cthe image of the Lord.\u201d We should interpret that he wants to tell us that all the work is only on \u201cfear,\u201d meaning not to receive the abundance, lest he will not be able to aim in order to bestow. This is as it is written about Moses (Berachot<\/em> 7), \u201c\u2018And Moses hid his face for he was afraid to look.\u2019 They said, in return for \u2018Moses hid his face,\u2019 he was rewarded with \u2018the image of the Lord does he behold.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In other words, the labor is on the fear, as it is written, \u201cfor he was afraid to look,\u201d after which came the reward without toil or labor, when he was rewarded with seeing the image of the Lord, which is Malchut<\/em>, as it says, \u201cfor Malchut<\/em> is called \u2018the image of the Lord.\u2019\u201d It follows that all of life came from Malchut<\/em>, as he says, \u201cVav<\/em>–Hey<\/em> of HaVaYaH<\/em> is called \u2018life,\u2019\u201d which comes without toil or labor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is the meaning of \u201cOnly in the shadow shall one walk.\u201d Baal HaSulam said that \u201cshadow\u201d means \u201cshade,\u201d and shadow is where the sun does not shine, which is concealment. In other words, once a person accepts the kingdom of heaven as concealment above reason, he is rewarded with knowledge of Kedusha<\/em> [holiness]. This is the meaning of what is written, \u201cOnly in the shadow shall one walk,\u201d precisely when one takes upon himself the kingdom of heaven as a \u201cshadow\u201d by which one can ascend the rungs of holiness. This is the meaning of \u201cshall one walk.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, we should interpret what is written, \u201cOne must not walk four cubits bareheaded.\u201d \u201cHead\u201d means knowledge and intellect. Covering the head means that he covers the intellect and does not look at it, but goes above reason. \u201cFour cubits\u201d are the man; this is his height. It means that one is forbidden to walk without faith above reason. If he does walk within reason, meaning \u201cbareheaded,\u201d \u201cLife immediately departs from him.\u201d Rather, specifically by covering the head, he will be rewarded with the knowledge of Kedusha<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, this work of faith above reason should be with a sound mind, for only then can one understand what is above reason. Otherwise, a person is mistaken with the meaning of above reason. This is as our sages said (Avot<\/em>, Chapter 4:23), \u201cDo not appease your neighbor while he is angry.\u201d Hence, when one is angry, when he is dissatisfied with the situation he is in and begins to introspect, he falls into mistakes and cannot calculate truthfully, as our sages said (Sifrei Matot<\/em>), \u201cOnce he comes by anger, he comes by every mistake.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Man\u2019s main anger at himself is expressed in work in sadness at the state he is in. Hence, all the calculations he does are wrong, since he himself is in a state where there is no peace of mind in him. In that state, he should not make any calculations but take upon himself the kingdom of heaven without any calculations. Only once he has taken upon himself the burden of the kingdom of heaven by force, and when his anger has subsided, can he calculate, to know what is above reason and what is below reason, and what is within reason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We should know that when a person is angry at something, he feels that he is in an uncomfortable situation. At such a time, it is impossible to believe in private Providence, that the Creator leads the world in a manner of good and doing good. Hence, in that state he slanders the guidance of the Creator, and naturally becomes separated from faith, since there is a correction from above, which our sages called \u201cOne does not sin unless a spirit of folly has entered him.\u201d This means that the spirit of Kedusha<\/em> that he had has departed from him. This is done in man\u2019s favor, since when he does not have the spirit of Kedusha<\/em>, he cannot blemish what he does not have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hence, when one falls into a state of sadness, meaning he has nothing from which to derive joy, he becomes separated from the Kedusha<\/em>. At that time, there is only one advice, to take upon himself, by force, the burden of the kingdom of heaven, and pray to the Creator to help him so that this coercion that he has taken upon himself, the Creator will help him make it with joy, as it is written, \u201cServe the Lord with gladness.\u201d Since now this work is compulsory for him, from where will he take joy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n For this reason, one must pray to the Creator to help him be able to observe what is written, \u201cServe the Lord with gladness.\u201d Also, at that time, one should overcome in the manner of \u201can awakening from below,\u201d and believe that it is a great privilege that he was able to overcome his situation and be able to do something against the intellect, which is called \u201cabove reason.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, he should believe, once he has overcome above reason, this is regarded that he is a servant of the Creator. That is, this overcoming that he is now doing is called \u201cwork of the Creator,\u201d since now he is working with faith above reason. In other words, only now is he considered \u201cworking,\u201d since the body does not agree to this work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It therefore follows that when one comes to a state where the body does not want to do the holy work, and a person is in a state where he has no spirit of life, this is the time when a person is regarded as having no faith in the Creator, since faith in the Creator brings joy. Hence, when he is irritated and angry with himself to the point that he cannot stand anything around him, he is considered to be an \u201cidol-worshipper.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is as our sages said, \u201cAnyone who is angry, it is as though he is committing idol-worship.\u201d This is so because he has no faith. Hence, a person should try to be thankful to the Creator for every contact that he has with spirituality, and then he unifies the connection with the Creator. In other words, even if he is in a state where the body rejects anything of Kedusha<\/em>, he can maintain contact with the Creator even over this, meaning that a person must say at that time, \u201cthe fact that I feel that I have no desire for work, this, too, is called \u2018contact.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That is, a person sees that he does not always think about work, whether or not he wants to work. Rather, he should think and worry about other matters, which have no connection to spirituality. Hence, now that he has contact, he is thankful for it, and by this he can reenter the work and begin to live a life of Kedusha<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although there are many discernments in the connection that one connects oneself to the Creator, any contact is a great thing. It is written about it (Psalms 48:11), \u201cAs Your name, God, so is Your glory.\u201d This means that as much as one can appreciate the greatness and importance of the Creator, to that extent he can thank and praise the Creator. Clearly, the more one can depict to oneself the greatness and importance of the Creator, he will be able to give greater praises to the Creator. However, by overcoming and praising the Creator over something, regardless what it is for which he thanks the Creator, this act already gives connection to the Creator, and by this he can come to do the holy work in truth. Hence, in every situation, only prayer helps.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Article No. 33, 1991 Our sages said (Midrash Rabbah, Chapter 11:7) about the verse, \u201cThe Lord will turn His face […]<\/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-11117","book","type-book","status-publish","hentry","topic-rabash"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n