{"id":11173,"date":"2025-12-09T15:22:55","date_gmt":"2025-12-09T15:22:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.kabbalah.info\/?post_type=book&p=11173"},"modified":"2026-01-25T19:45:46","modified_gmt":"2026-01-25T19:45:46","slug":"mans-greatness-is-according-to-his-work","status":"publish","type":"book","link":"https:\/\/www.kabbalah.info\/en\/mans-greatness-is-according-to-his-work\/","title":{"rendered":"\u00a032. Man\u2019s Greatness Is According to His Work"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It is written that Rabbi Yosi says, \u201cIt is not man\u2019s place that honors him; it is rather man who honors his place, for we find that on Mount Sinai, as long as the Shechina<\/em> [Divinity] was on it, the Torah said, \u2018neither shall flocks or cattle graze before that mountain.\u2019 When the Shechina<\/em> departed from it, the Torah said, \u2018When the ram’s horn sounds a long blast, they shall come up the mountain.\u2019 We also find concerning the Tent of Meeting in the desert that as long as it stood, the Torah said, \u2018Send away from the camp every leper.\u2019 When the curtain was rolled up, the leaking and the lepers were permitted therein\u201d (Taanit<\/em> 21b).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To understand this, we must interpret the meaning of \u201cplace,\u201d meaning the Creator, as it is written, \u201cBlessed is the Place.\u201d Tzon<\/em> [flock] comes from the word Yetzia<\/em> [exit]. Bakar<\/em> [cattle] comes from Mevaker<\/em> [criticizing]. \u201cShall come up\u201d means ascending in degree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The explanation is that it is known that the reward is only according to the sorrow, meaning that a person cannot receive the gifts of the Creator before he adjusts his actions to be for the sake of the Creator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is known that upon the revelation of the light of the Creator, when the Creator shines to a person and gives him awakening in Torah and work, there is no room for choice because the pleasure forces a person to engage in that which gives him pleasure. For this reason, at that time there is no place for choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In such a state, he is not obligated to believe in the Creator to such an extent that he says that without faith he will not do this, since what affirms the matter is another cause, which is the pleasure. This is called Lo<\/em> Lishma<\/em> [not for Her sake], since it is not faith that causes this action, but the pleasure determines it for him and motivates him to work and increase his good deeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hence, although the Creator has given him a great awakening for Torah and work, he cannot ascend in degrees of truth by this, since \u201che acquired truth,\u201d meaning that the degree of truth must be acquired. Only by labor in acceptance of the burden of the kingdom of heaven voluntarily is one rewarded with climbing the degrees of truth, each time to a higher level. This is the meaning of \u201cIt is all according to the action.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By this we can understand the words, \u201cIt is not man\u2019s place that honors him.\u201d That is, it is not for this, if a person has been rewarded with some awakening. It follows that the Creator honored him; by this a person becomes respected, since an awakening that comes from above will finally depart from him because he still lacks the qualification to be fit to receive for the sake of the Creator and not for his own pleasure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is rather man who honors His place.\u201d Specifically by this, when one makes an effort during the choice and wants to honor His place, meaning the Creator, only then does one become honored. That is, through his work, a person becomes a vehicle for the throne. However, it is not during an awakening from above, which is regarded as the Creator honoring the person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He brings evidence from Mount Sinai, that as long as the Shechina<\/em> was on it, \u201cneither shall flocks or cattle graze before that mountain.\u201d The exits, when a person exits the work, is because of his criticism of Providence. At that time he should make a choice on these states. During the awakening there is not ascent because he is not making any effort of his own, since now he is in an awakening from above, and he is not making any effort to ascend to states where he should make a choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is why it is written, \u201cWhen the ram’s horn sounds a long blast,\u201d meaning after the departure of the Shechina<\/em>, \u201cthey shall come up the mountain.\u201d Precisely after this there is a place for the \u201cWhat,\u201d meaning places where he could not endure the test and could not enter the Kedusha<\/em> [holiness]. Now he has a place where he can overcome them because he can make a choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This clarifies the evidence from the Tent of Meeting, \u201cWhen the curtain was rolled up, the leaking and the lepers were permitted therein.\u201d RASHI interpreted \u201cthe curtain was rolled up,\u201d that they were rolling along as they were traveling. A \u201cleper\u201d pertains to slander. In ethics, \u201cslander\u201d pertains to slandering Providence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, in ethics, \u201cleaking\u201d is as they said, \u201ca cemented cistern that does not lose a drop.\u201d This means that as long as one has not completed the measure of labor that he must exert, as much as he may take upon himself the burden of Torah, he immediately forgets and turns astray again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It follows that any drop of fear of heaven that he takes upon himself leaks off from him. But once he is rewarded with permanent faith, he is called \u201ca cemented cistern that does not lose a drop.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Man\u2019s heart is called \u201ca cistern.\u201d Sud<\/em> [lime] is from the word Yasad<\/em> [established], as in \u201cfor so the King established.\u201d (RASHI interprets it as Yesod<\/em> [foundation], so he established and commanded.) When man\u2019s heart is corrected with the foundation of faith, when all he wants is because \u201cfor so the King established,\u201d the King of the world, at that time the heart is called \u201ca cemented cistern that does not lose a drop\u201d of fear of heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is called \u201ca drop\u201d because man was created from this drop, since \u201cYou are called \u2018man\u2019\u201d pertains to one who has fear of heaven, as it is written, \u201cFear God and observe His commandments\u201d (Berachot<\/em> 6b).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Precisely when the curtain was rolled up, the leaking and lepers were permitted in there. This means that then they were given an opportunity, since precisely at the time of concealment there is room for work, and one can make a choice and take upon himself the burden of the kingdom of heaven permanently to be rewarded with the quality of \u201ca cemented cistern that does not lose a drop.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It follows from all the above that only a person himself must work in order to make a choice. Afterward, the Creator gives him everything that was intended in creation, which is to do good to His creations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It is written that Rabbi Yosi says, \u201cIt is not man\u2019s place that honors him; it is rather man who […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"parent":6246,"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-11173","book","type-book","status-publish","hentry","topic-rabash"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nKabbalah | \u00a032. 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