March 11, 1959, Tel-Aviv<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hello and all the best to my friend,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I will hereby write you the entire talk that I gave on Shabbat, portion Shekalim<\/em>[March 7, 1959]. \u201cOn the first of Adar<\/em> we speak of the Shekalim<\/em>.\u201d We should understand the meaning of Shekalim<\/em> [pl. of Shekel], which is one of the things that Moses found perplexing. RASHI interprets the verse, \u201cThis \u2026 will give.\u201d He showed him what seemed like a coin of fire weighing half a shekel and told him: \u201cThis \u2026 will give.\u201d We should understand why Moses found it perplexing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We should interpret this in ethics: Half a shekel is called a \u201cfissure per head.\u201d It is written in the holy Zohar<\/em> (Nasso<\/em>, Idra Raba<\/em>, item 20): \u201cEach Galgalta<\/em>[head\/skull] brings a reward of whiteness to Atik<\/em> Yomin<\/em>… To accept it, he split the head downward. Thus it was calculated.\u201d Baal HaSulam interpreted that Galgalta<\/em> means beginning, as the head begin with the skull. \u201cWhiteness\u201d means \u201cwhite,\u201d which is faith and Dvekut<\/em> (adhesion) \u201cFissure\u201d means splitting and breaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To interpret his words we should precede with the meaning of the Torah being written with \u201cblack fire over white fire.\u201d We should interpret that to be rewarded with the light of Torah we need two states: a state of \u201cblack\u201d and a state of \u201cwhite.\u201d Black means a time when the faith and Dvekut<\/em> (adhesion) in the Creator do not shine. This comes to a person by having a nature that burns as fire, and wishes to satisfy the lust of the will to receive only for oneself, and one cannot do anything \u2026 will not see in advance that by this he will later receive delight and pleasure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At that time, when a person begins to look at the whole world and wishes to believe that the Creator leads the world with benevolent guidance, he falls into foreign thoughts, and these thoughts cause him a fissure and a breakage in the work that he took upon himself\u2014to believe above reason. This fissure creates in him darkness because then the faith departs from him and he lacks the Dvekut<\/em>with Him. This is called \u201ca fissure in the skull, half a shekel,\u201d meaning a state of darkness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is what Moses found perplexing: Why do we need this darkness, since it would better if there were always a state of open providence, where the light of faith would illuminate clearly? And why is it necessary to fissure the skull, which is splitting and breaking, in order to keep \u201cTake the head \u2026 of the children of Israel\u201d? This is what Moses found perplexing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Creator replied to Moses: \u201cThis \u2026 will give,\u201d meaning the nature of fire, which is what the will to receive compels them; this they will give as a donation to the Creator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The necessity to overcome that black state obligates His help, as our sages said, \u201cHe who comes to purify is aided.\u201d The holy Zohar<\/em> interprets that he is aided by the Creator giving him a holy soul so he can overcome his situation. Subsequently, He can help him by giving him a higher degree. And he must always extend \u201cwhite,\u201d which is the upper whiteness, as explained in the book Tree of Life<\/em>, Gate Akudim<\/em> (Chapter 1), and this whiteness is called \u201cwhite.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is the meaning of \u201cblack fire over white fire.\u201d This is also the meaning of \u201cEach Galgalta<\/em> (skull\/head),\u201d meaning each beginning, namely that one must always make new choices, causing him to draw each time the upper whiteness, which is a new Neshama<\/em> and degree, by having to overcome his state, which is called \u201cblack fire.\u201d When the help comes from above, there is \u201cwhite fire,\u201d until a person is rewarded with the complete purpose for which he was created.<\/p>\n\n\n\n May the Creator help us be rewarded with the revelation of the light of Torah and the coming of the Redeemer soon in our days, Amen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your friend who sends you regards and wishes you all the best,<\/p>\n\n\n\n Baruch Shalom HaLevi Ashlag<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" March 11, 1959, Tel-Aviv Hello and all the best to my friend, I will hereby write you the entire talk […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"parent":6249,"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-13766","book","type-book","status-publish","hentry","topic-rabash"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n