January 1972<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRabbi Ila’a said, \u2018The world exists only on account of him who restrains himself in strife, as it is said, \u2018The earth hangs on nothing\u2019\u2019\u201d (Hulin<\/em> 89a).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Understanding that the existence of the world depends on this\u2014that if two people who are quarreling with one another, the world cannot exist. Only if one keeps silent, meaning avoids answering, then the world can exist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We should understand this in ethics. It is known that man has the evil inclination as soon as he is born. When one wants to engage in Torah and Mitzvot<\/em> [commandments], the evil inclination asks him, \u201cWhat will you get out of it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are four answers to this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1) He replies to the evil inclination that he intends to avenge, meaning to make the other party feel bad. Our sages call this answer Lo<\/em> Lishma<\/em> [not for Her sake], \u201cand it would be best if he had died at birth\u201d (Berachot<\/em> 17a).<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2) In order to be called \u201cRabbi\u201d [title of honor]. That is, he answers to the evil inclination that he is learning so that people will reward him. If he is unmarried, he will find a good wife. And if he is married, people will respect him for his Torah and work. This, too, is called Lo<\/em> Lishma<\/em>, but from Lo<\/em> Lishma<\/em> we come to Lishma<\/em> [for Her sake].<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3) He replies that he is learning Lishma<\/em> in concealment, so no one will see his work in Torah and Mitzvot<\/em> [commandments], so that people will not respect him for his Torah and Mitzvot<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is regarded as Lishma<\/em> because Lishma<\/em> means that he engages in Torah and Mitzvot<\/em> so the Creator will pay his reward. This is similar to one who works for a certain company. He will certainly not ask for his salary from another company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, one whose aim is that people will respect him for the Torah and Mitzvot<\/em> is regarded as working not for the sake of the Creator, but for the sake of the created beings, that people will reward him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But one who works in concealment intends for the Creator to pay his reward. This is regarded as working for the sake of the Creator, that his aim is that only the Creator will pay his reward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4) Not in order to receive reward, meaning he serves the Creator but without any reward. At that time, the evil inclination asks, \u201cWhat is this work that you are doing without any reward?\u201d Then there is nothing to reply to the evil inclination, as it is written in the Passover Haggadah [narrative], \u201cBlunt its teeth,\u201d and then he can accept the work only above rhyme and reason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By this, one is rewarded with complete faith, for through the faith he is rewarded with the real wholeness, as for this, man was created. Therefore, at that time, the verse, \u201cIf he is rewarded, he sentences himself and the entire world to the side of merit\u201d comes true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is the meaning of restraining himself in strife with his evil inclination, meaning that when the fight is over the work in the manner of not in order to bestow, at that time he has nothing to answer. This is called \u201changs the earth on nothing,\u201d meaning he has no basis, which is called \u201cnothing,\u201d but only above rhyme and reason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" January 1972 \u201cRabbi Ila’a said, \u2018The world exists only on account of him who restrains himself in strife, as it […]<\/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-11675","book","type-book","status-publish","hentry","topic-rabash"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n