Introduction to The Study of the Ten Sefirot - Part THREE

Part THREE of FOUR

56) Now you can understand the words of our sages, “What is repentance like? When He who knows all mysteries will testify that he will not turn back to folly.” These are seemingly perplexing words, for who would rise to the heaven to hear the testimony of the Creator? Also, before whom should the Creator testify? Is it not enough that the Creator Himself knows that the person repented and will not sin again?

From the explanation, the matter becomes quite clear: In truth, one is not absolutely certain that he will not sin again before he is rewarded with the above attainment of reward and punishment, meaning the revelation of the face. And this revelation of the face, from the perspective of the Creator’s salvation, is called “testimony,” since His salvation in itself, to this attainment of reward and punishment, is what guarantees that he will not sin again.

It is therefore considered that the Creator testifies for him. It is written, “What is repentance like?” In other words, when will one be certain that he has been granted complete repentance? For this, one is given a clear sign: “when He who knows all mysteries testifies that he will not turn back to folly.” This means that he will attain the revelation of the face, at which time one’s own salvation will testify that he will not turn back to folly.

57) This above-mentioned repentance is called “repentance from fear.” This is because although one returns to the Creator with his heart and soul, until He who knows all mysteries testifies that he will not turn back to folly, that certainty that he will not sin again is due to one’s attainment and sensation of the terrible punishment and wicked torment extending from the transgressions. Because of that, one is certain that he will not sin, just as he is sure that he will not afflict himself with horrible suffering.

However, at last, these repentances and certainty are only because of the fear of punishment that extends from the transgressions. It turns out that one’s repentance is only for the fear of punishment. Because of that, it is called “repentance from fear.”

58) With this we understand the words of our sages: that one who repents from fear is rewarded with his sins becoming mistakes. We must understand how this happens. According to the above (Item 52), you can thoroughly understand that the sins one makes extend to him from the reception of Providence through double concealment, namely concealment within concealment. This means that one does not believe in Providence of reward and punishment.

One concealment means that he believes in Providence of reward and punishment. Yet, because of the accumulation of the suffering, he sometimes comes to thoughts of transgression. This is because even though he believes that the suffering came to him as a punishment, he is still like one who sees his friend from behind, and might doubt and mistake him for another. And these sins are only mistakes, since, as a whole, he does believe in Providence of reward and punishment.

59) Hence, when one is granted repentance from fear, meaning a clear attainment of reward and punishment until he is certain that he will not sin again, the concealment within concealment is entirely corrected in him. This is because now he evidently sees that there is Providence of reward and punishment. It is clear to him that all the suffering he had ever felt was a punishment from His Providence for the sins he had committed. In retrospect, he made a grave mistake; hence, he uproots these sins.

However, this is not entirely so. They become sins. In other words, it is like the transgressions he made in one concealment, when he failed because of the confusion that came to him due to the multitude of torments that drive one out of one’s mind. These are only regarded as mistakes.

60) Yet, in this repentance, he did not correct at all the first concealment of the face, which he had had before, but only from now on after he has attained the revelation of the face. In the past, however, before he had attained repentance, the concealment of the face and all the mistakes remained as they were, without any change or correction whatsoever. This is so because then, too, he believed that the troubles and the suffering came to him as punishment, as it is written, “they will say in that day: Are not these evils come upon us because our G-d is not among us?”

61) Therefore, he is still considered incomplete righteous because one who is awarded the revelation of the face, namely the complete measure of His goodness, as befits His Name, is called “righteous” (Item 55). This is so because he justifies His Providence as it truly is, that He is utterly good and utterly perfect with His creations, that He is good to the good and to the bad.

Hence, since he has been awarded the revelation of the face, from here on he merits the name “righteous.” However, since he has not completed the correction, but only the concealment within concealment, and has not corrected the first concealment, but only from here on, that time, before he was awarded repentance, still does not merit the name “righteous.” This is because then he is left with the concealment of the face, as before. For this reason, he is called “incomplete righteous,” meaning one who still needs to correct his past.

62) He is also called “medium,” since after he attains repentance from fear he becomes qualified, through his completion in Torah and good deeds, to attain repentance from love, as well. Then one attains being a “complete righteous.” Hence, now one is the medium between fear and love, and is therefore named “medium.” However, prior to that, he was not completely qualified to even prepare himself for repentance from love.

63) This thoroughly explains the first degree of attainment of the revelation of the face, the attainment and the sensation of Providence of reward and punishment in a way that He who knows all mysteries will testify that he will not turn back to folly. This is called “repentance from fear,” when his sins become as mistakes. This is also called “incomplete righteous” and “medium.”

64) Now we shall explain the second degree of the attainment of the revelation of the face, which is the attainment of the complete, true, and eternal Providence. It means that the Creator watches over His creations in the form of “Good that does good to the good and to the bad.” Now one is considered “complete righteous” and “repentance from love,” when one is granted turning his sins to virtues.

This explains all four discernments of perception of Providence that apply in the creations. The first three discernments, double concealment, single concealment, and attainment of Providence of reward and punishment are but preparations by which one attains the fourth discernment, which is the attainment of the true, eternal Providence.

65) But we have yet to understand why the third discernment is not enough for a person, namely attainment of the Providence of reward and punishment. We said that he has already been rewarded with He who knows all mysteries testifying that he will not sin again. Hence, why is he still called “medium” or “incomplete righteous,” whose name proves that his work is still not desirable in the eyes of the Creator, and there is still a flaw and blemish in his Torah and work?

66) First, let us scrutinize what the interpreters asked about the Mitzva of loving the Creator. How did the Holy Torah oblige us to a Mitzva that we cannot keep at all? One can coerce and enslave oneself to anything, but no coercion or enslavement in the world will help with love.

They explained that when by keeping all 612 Mitzvot appropriately, the love of G-d extends to him by itself. Hence, it is considered possible to keep, since one can enslave and coerce oneself to keep the 612 Mitzvot appropriately, and then he will also attain the love of G-d.

67) Indeed, their words require elaborate explanation. In the end, the love of G-d should not come to us as a Mitzva, since there is no act or enslavement on our part in it. It rather comes by itself after completing the 612 Mitzvot. Hence, we are quite sufficient with the commandment of the 612 Mitzvot, and why was the Mitzva of love written?

68) To understand that, we must first acquire genuine understanding in the nature of the love of G-d itself. We must know that all the inclinations, tendencies, and properties instilled in a person, with which to serve one’s friends, all these tendencies and natural properties are required for the work of G-d.

To begin with, they were created and imprinted in man only because of their final role, which is the ultimate purpose of man, as it is written, “he that is banished, be not an outcast from him.” One needs them all so as to complement oneself in the ways of reception of abundance, and to complement the will of G-d.

This is the meaning of, “Every one that is called by My name, and whom I have created for My glory” (Isaiah 43:7), and also “The Lord hath made all things for His own purpose” (Proverbs 16:4). However, in the meantime, man has been given a whole world to develop and complete all these natural inclinations and qualities, by engaging in them with people, thus yielding them suitable for their purpose.

It is written, “One must say, ‘The world was created for me,’” because all the people in the world are required for a person, as they develop and qualify the attributes and inclinations of every individual to become a fit tool for His work.

69) Thus, we must understand the essence of the love of G-d from the properties of love by which one person relates to another. The love of G-d is necessarily given through these qualities, since they were only imprinted in humans for His name to begin with. And when we observe the attributes of love between man and man, we find four measures of love, one atop the other, meaning two that are four.

70) The first is “conditional love.” It means that because of the great goodness, pleasure, and benefit that one receives from one’s friend, one’s soul clings to one’s friend with wondrous love.

There are two measures in that: the first is that before they met and began to love one another, they did harm to one another. However, now they do not want to remember it, for “love covereth all transgressions.” The second measure is that they have always done good and helped one another and there is no trace of harm or detriment between them.

72) The second is “unconditional love.” It means that one knows the virtue of one’s friend to be sublime, beyond any imaginable measure. Because of that, his soul clings to him with endless love.

Here, too, there are two measures: the first measure is before one knows every conduct and deed of one’s friend with others. At that time, this love is considered “less than absolute love.”

This is because one’s friend has dealings with others, and on the surface he seems to be harming others out of negligence. In this manner, if the lover saw them, the merit of his friend would be entirely blemished and the love between them would be corrupted. Yet, since he has not seen these dealings, his love is still whole, great, and truly wonderful.

73) The second attribute of unconditional love is the fourth attribute of love in general, which also comes from knowing the merit of his friend. Yet, in addition, now he knows all his dealings and conducts with every person, none missing. He has checked and found that not only is there not a trace of flaw in them, but his goodness is greater than anything imaginable. Now it is “eternal and complete love.”

74) Note that these four attributes of love between man and man apply between man and G-d, as well. Moreover, here, in the love of G-d, they become degrees, by way of cause and consequence.

It is impossible to acquire any of them before one acquires the first attribute of conditional love. And after it is completely acquired, that first attribute causes one to acquire the second attribute. And after one has acquired the second attribute to the fullest, it causes him to acquire the third attribute. Finally, the third attribute to the fourth attribute, eternal love.

75) Hence the question arises, “How can one acquire the first degree of love of G-d, the first degree of conditional love, which is love that comes through the multitude of goodness that one receives from the loved one, when there is no reward for a Mitzva in this world?”

Moreover, according to the above, one must go through the first two forms of Providence by way of concealment of the face. In other words, His face, meaning His measure of goodness – the conduct of the good is to do good – is concealed at that time (Item 47). Therefore, at that time, one experiences pain and suffering.

Nevertheless, we learn that the whole practice of Torah and work out of choice is conducted primarily during that time, of concealment of the face. If so, how can it be that one will be awarded the second attribute of conditional love, being that the loved one has always done only wondrous and plentiful good, and never caused him any harm at all, and even more so when he attains the third degree or the fourth?

76) Indeed we dive into deep waters here. At the very least, we must fish out a precious gem from this. For that purpose, let us examine the words of our sages (Berachot 17), “You shall see your world in your life, and your end to the life of the next world.”

We must understand why they did not say, “You will receive your world in your life,” but only “see”? If they wanted to bless, they should have blessed wholly, meaning to acquire and receive his world in his life. We must also understand, why should one see his next world in his life? At least his end will be the life of the next world. Moreover, why did they place this blessing first?

77) First, we must understand how is this seeing of the next world in one’s life? Certainly, we cannot see anything spiritual with corporeal eyes. It is also not the Creator’s conduct to change the laws of nature. This is because the Creator originally arranged these conducts in this manner because they are the most successful for their purpose. Through them, one comes to cleave unto Him, as it is written, “The Lord hath made all things for His own purpose.” Therefore, we must understand how one sees one’s world in one’s life?

78) I shall tell you that this seeing comes to a person through the opening of the eyes in the Holy Torah, as it is written, “Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law.” It is about this that the soul is sworn before it comes to the body (Nida p 30), and “Even if the whole world says you are righteous, be wicked in your own eyes,” specifically in your own eyes.

In other words, as long as you have not attained “opening of the eyes” in the Torah, regard yourself as wicked. Do not fool yourself with your reputation in the entire world as righteous

Now you can also understand why they placed the blessing, “You shall see your world in your life,” at the beginning of all the blessings. It is because prior to that, one is not even awarded the property of “Incomplete Righteous.”

79) We have yet to understand, if a person knows within himself that he has already kept the whole Torah, and the whole world agrees with him in that, why is that not enough for him at all? Instead, he is sworn to continue regarding himself as wicked. Is it because that wondrous degree of opening his eyes in the Torah is missing in him that you compare him to a wicked?

80) Indeed, the four measures of people’s attainment of His Providence over them have already been explained. Two of them are in concealment of the face, and two are in disclosure of the face.

Also, the reason for the concealment of the face from the people has been explained: it is deliberately to give people room for labor and engage in His work in Torah and Mitzvot out of choice. This is because this increases the contentment of the Creator from their work in His Torah and Mitzvot more than His contentment from His angels above, who have no choice and whose work is coerced.

81) Despite the above praise for concealment of face, it is still not considered wholeness, but only as “transition.” This is the place from which the longed-for wholeness is attained.

This means that any reward for a Mitzva that is prepared for a person is acquired only through one’s labor in Torah and good deeds during the concealment of the face, when he engages out of “choice.” This is so because then one feels sorrow out of his strengthening in His faith, in keeping His will. And one’s whole reward is measured only according to the pain he suffers from keeping the Torah and the Mitzva, as it is written, “The reward is according to the pain.”

82) Hence, every person must experience that transit period of concealment of the face. When he completes it, he is rewarded with open Providence, meaning the revelation of the face.

And before he is rewarded with revelation of the face, and although he sees the posterior side, he cannot refrain from ever committing a sin. Not only is he unable to keep all 613 Mitzvot, since love does not come by coercion and compulsion, but one is not complete even in the 612 Mitzvot, since even his fear is not fixed as it should be.

This is the meaning of the Torah being 611 in Gematria (any Gematria is the posterior side), that one cannot properly observe even 612 Mitzvot. This is the meaning of, “He will not always contend.” In the end, one will be awarded the revelation of the face.

83) The 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 “a flowing spring” (Avot 86). In any Mitzva in the Holy Torah that one has already kept of his own choice, one is granted seeing the reward of the Mitzva in it, intended for him in the next world, as well as the great loss in the transgression.

84) And although the reward is not yet in his hand, since the reward for a Mitzva is not in this world, the clear attainment is quite sufficient for him from now on, to feel the great pleasure while performing each Mitzva. This is so because, “All that is about to be collected is deemed collected.”

For example, take a merchant who made a deal and gained a large sum, even though the profit will come to him after a long time. But if he is certain beyond any shadow of a doubt that the profit will come to him in time, he is as happy as if the money has come to him immediately.

85) Naturally, such Providence testifies that from now on he will cleave to Torah and Mitzvot with his heart, and soul, and might, and that he will retire from the sins as if escaping from a fire. And although he is not yet a complete righteous, since he has not acquired repentance from love, his great adhesion in the Torah and good deeds help him slowly be granted repentance from love, meaning the second degree of the revelation of the face. Then one can keep all 613 Mitzvot in full, and he becomes a complete righteous.

86) Now we thoroughly understand what we asked concerning the oath, that the soul is sworn before it comes to this world: “Even if the whole world says you are righteous, be wicked in your own eyes.” We asked, “Since the whole world agrees that he is righteous, why must he still consider himself wicked? Does he not trust the entire world?”

We must also add, concerning the phrase, “Even if the whole world says.” What is the connection between this and the testimony of the entire world, since one knows oneself better than the rest of the world? It should have sworn him, “Even if you know for yourself that you are righteous.”

Yet, the most perplexing is that the Gemarah explicitly states (Berachot 61) that one must know in one’s soul if he is righteous or not. Thus, there is an obligation and possibility to truly be completely righteous.

Moreover, one must delve and know this truth. If this is so, how is the soul sworn to always be wicked in its own eyes, and to never know the actual truth, when our sages have obligated the contrary?

87) The words are very precise indeed. As long as one has not been awarded the opening of eyes in the Torah in wondrous attainment, sufficient for him for clear attainment of reward and punishment, he will certainly not be able to deceive himself and consider himself righteous. This is because he will necessarily feel that he lacks the two most comprehensive Mitzvot in the Torah, namely love and fear.

Even attaining complete fear, in a way that “He who knows all mysteries will testify that he will not turn back to folly,” due to his great fear of punishment and the great loss from transgressing, is completely unimaginable before he is awarded complete, clear, and absolute attainment in Providence of reward and punishment

This refers to the attainment of the first degree of revelation of the face, which comes to a person through the opening of eyes in the Torah. It is all the more so with love, which is completely beyond one’s ability, since it depends on the understanding of the heart, and no labor or coercion will help here.

88) Hence, the oath states, “Even if the whole world says you are righteous.” This is so because these two Mitzvot, love and fear, are given only to the individual, and no one else in the world can distinguish them and know them.

Thus, since they see that he is complete in 611 Mitzvot, they immediately say that he probably has the two Mitzvot of love and fear, too. And since human nature compels one to believe the world, one might fall into a grave mistake.

For that reason, the soul is sworn to that even before it comes into this world, and may it help us. Nonetheless, it is the individual himself who must certainly question and know in his heart if he is a complete righteous.

89) We can also understand what we asked, “How can even the first degree of love be attained when there is no reward for a Mitzva in this world (in this life)?” Now it is clear that one does not need to actually receive the reward for the Mitzva in his life, hence their precision, “You will see your world in your life, and your end to the life of the next world,” indicating that the reward for a Mitzva is not in this world, but in the next world.

Yet, to know, to see, and to feel the future reward of the Mitzva in the next world, one must know it in complete certainty and clarity while in this life, through the wonderful attainment in the Torah. This is because then one still attains conditional love, which is the first degree of the exit from concealment of the face and the entrance to the revelation of the face, which one must have in order to keep Torah and Mitzvot correctly, in a way that, “He who knows all mysteries will testify that he will not turn back to folly.”

90) And by laboring to observe Torah and Mitzvot in the form of conditional love, which comes to him from knowing the future reward in the next world, as in, “all that is about to be collected is deemed collected,” one attains the second degree of revelation of the face – His Guidance over the world from His eternity and truthfulness, meaning that He is good and does good to the good and to the bad.

In that state, one attains unconditional love and the sins become as virtues for him. And from then on, he is called “complete righteous,” since he can keep the Torah and Mitzvot with love and fear. And he is called “complete” because he has all 613 Mitzvot in completeness.

91) This answers what we asked: “One who attains the third measure of Providence, namely Providence of reward and punishment, when He who knows all mysteries already testifies that he will not turn back to folly, is still considered ‘Incomplete Righteous.’” Now we thoroughly understand that one still lacks one Mitzva, the Mitzva of love. Of course, one is incomplete, since he must necessarily complete the 613 Mitzvot, which is necessarily the first step on the door of perfection.

92) With all that is said above, we understand what they asked, “How did the Torah obligate us to the Mitzva of love when this Mitzva is not even in our hands to engage in or even somewhat touch it?” Now you see and understand that it is about this that our sages warned us, “I have labored and did not find, do not believe,” and also, “Let one always engage in Torah and Mitzvot in Lo Lishma because from Lo Lishma one comes to Lishma” (Pesachim 50). Also, the verse, “those that seek Me shall find Me” (Proverbs 8), testifies to that.

93) These are the words of our sages (Megillah p 6): “Rabbi Yitzhak said, ‘If a person should tell you, ‘I have labored and did not find,’ do not believe; ‘I did not labor and found,’ do not believe; ‘I labored and found,’ believe.’” And we ask about, “I labored and found, believe,” that the words seem self-contradictory, since labor relates to possession, and a find is something that comes without labor at all, absentmindedly. He should have said, “I labored and bought.”

However, you should know that this term, “find,” mentioned here, relates to the verse, “those that seek Me shall find Me.” It refers to finding the face of the Creator, as it is written in The Zohar that He is found only in the Torah, meaning that one is rewarded with finding the face of the Creator by laboring in the Torah. Hence, our sages were precise in their words, and said “I labored and found, believe,” because the labor is in the Torah, and the finding is in the revelation of the face of His Providence.

They deliberately refrained from saying, “I labored and won, believe,” or “I labored and bought.” This is because then there would be room for error in the matters, since winning or possessing relate only to possession of the Torah. Hence, they made the precision of the word “found,” indicating that it refers to another thing besides the acquisition of the Torah, namely the revelation of the face of His Providence.

94) That settles the verse, “I did not labor and found, do not believe.” It seems puzzling, for who would think that it is possible to attain the Torah without having to labor for it? But since the words relate to the verse, “those that seek Me shall find Me” (Proverbs 8:17), it means that anyone, small or great, who seeks Him, finds Him immediately. This is what the word “seek” implies.

One might think that this does not require so much labor, and even a lesser person, unwilling to make any effort for it, will find Him, too. Our sages warn us in that regard to not believe such an explanation. Rather, the labor is necessary here, and not, “I labored and found, do not believe.”

95) Now you see why the Torah is called “Life,” as it is written, “See, I have set before thee this day life and good” (Deuteronomy 30:15), and also, “therefore choose life,” and “For they are life unto those that find them” (Proverbs 4:22). This extends from the verse, “In the light of the king's countenance is life” (Proverbs 16), since the Creator is the source of all life and every good.

Hence, life extends to those branches that cleave to their source. This refers to those that have labored and found the Light of His face in the Torah, that have been imparted opening their eyes in the Torah in wonderful attainment, until they were imparted the revelation of the face, the attainment of the true Providence that befits His name, “Good,” and the conduct of the Good is to do good.

96) And those that won can no longer retire from keeping the Mitzva correctly, as one cannot retire from a wonderful pleasure that comes to his hand. Hence, they run from transgression as one runs from a fire.

It is said about them: “But ye that did cleave unto the Lord your G-d are alive every one of you this day,” as His love comes abundantly to them in natural love, through the natural channels prepared for one by the nature of Creation. This is so because now the branch is properly cleaved to its root, and life pours to him abundantly and incessantly from its origin. It is because of this that the Torah is called “Life.”

97) For that reason, our sages warned us in many places concerning the necessary condition in the practice of Torah, that it will be specifically Lishma, in a way that one will be awarded life through it, for it is a Torah of life, and this is why it was given to us, as it is written, “therefore choose life.”

Hence, during the practice of Torah, every person must labor in it, and set his mind and heart to find “the light of the king's countenance” in it, that is, the attainment of open Providence, called “light of countenance.” And any person is fit for it, as it is written, “those that seek Me shall find Me,” and as it is written, “I labored and did not find, do not believe.”

Thus, one needs nothing in this matter except the labor alone. It is written, “Anyone who practices Torah Lishma, his Torah becomes a potion of life for him” (Taanit 7a). It means that one should only set one’s mind and heart to attain life, which is the meaning of Lishma.

98) Now you can see that the question the interpreters asked about the Mitzva of love, saying that this Mitzva is out of our hands, since love does not come by coercion and compulsion, is not at all a question. This is because it is entirely in our hands. Every person can labor in the Torah until he finds the attainment of His open Providence, as it is written, “I labored and found, believe.”

When one attains open Providence, the love extends to him by itself through the natural channels. And one who does not believe that he can attain that through his efforts, for whatever reason, is necessarily in disbelief of the words of our sages. Instead, he imagines that the labor is not sufficient for each person, which is the opposite of the verse, “I labored and did not find, do not believe.” It is also against the words, “those that see Me shall find Me”; specifically, those that “seek,” whomever they are, great or small. However, he certainly needs to labor.

99) From the above, you will understand the meaning of, “Anyone who practices Torah Lo Lishma, his Torah becomes a potion of death for him” (Taanit 7a), and the verse, “Verily Thou art a G-d that hidest Thyself,” that the Creator hides Himself in the Torah.

We asked, “It seems reasonable that the Creator is hidden in this world, outside of the Torah, and not in the Torah itself, that only there is the place of the disclosure. And we asked further: This concealment that the Creator hides Himself, to be sought and found, why should I?”

100) From the above explained, you can thoroughly understand that this concealment that the Creator hides Himself so as to be sought is the concealment of the face, which He conducts with His creations in two manners: one concealment, and concealment within concealment.

The Zohar tells us that we should not even consider that the Creator wishes to remain in Providence of concealed face from His creations. Rather, it is like a person who deliberately hides himself, so his friend will seek and find him.

Similarly, when the Creator behaves in concealment of face with His creations, it is only because He wants the creatures to seek the disclosure of His face and find Him. In other words, there would be no way or inlet for people to attain the Light of the King’s countenance had He not first behaved with them in concealment of face. Thus, the whole concealment is but a preparation for the disclosure of the face.

101) It is written that the Creator hides Himself in the Torah. Regarding the torments and pains one experiences during the concealment of the face, one who possesses few sins and has done little Torah and Mitzvot is not like one who has extensively engaged in Torah and good deeds. This is because the first is quite qualified to sentence his Maker to a scale of merit, to think that the suffering came to him because of his sins and scarceness of Torah.

For the other, however, it is much harder to sentence his Maker to a scale of merit. This is because in his mind, he does not deserve such harsh punishment. Moreover, he sees that his friends, who are worse than him, do not suffer so, as it is written, “the wicked, and they that are always at ease, increase riches,” and also, “in vain have I cleansed my heart.”

Thus, as long as one has not attained Providence of revelation of the face, the abundance of Torah and Mitzvot he has performed makes his concealment of the face much heavier. This is the meaning of, “the Creator hides Himself in the Torah.”

Indeed, all that heaviness he feels through the Torah is but proclamations by which the Holy Torah itself calls him, awakening him to hurry and give the required measure of labor, to promptly endow him with the revelation of the face, as G-d wills it.

102) This is why it is written that all who learn Torah Lo Lishma, their Torah becomes a potion of death for them. Not only do they not emerge from concealment of the face to disclosure of the face, since they did not set their minds to labor and attain it, the Torah that they accumulate greatly increases their concealment of the face. Finally, they fall into concealment within concealment, which is considered death, being completely detached from one’s root. Thus, their Torah becomes a potion of death for them.

103) This clarifies the two names the Torah is called by: “revealed” and “concealed.” We must understand why we need the concealed Torah, and why is the whole Torah not revealed?

Indeed, there is a profound intention here. The concealed Torah implies that the Creator hides in the Torah, hence the name, “the Torah of the hidden.” Conversely, it is called “revealed” because the Creator is revealed by the Torah.

Therefore, the Kabbalists said, and we also find it in the prayer book of the Vilna Gaon (GRA), that the order of attainment of the Torah begins with the concealed and ends with the revealed. This means that through the appropriate labor, where one first delves into the Torah of the hidden, he is thus granted the revealed Torah, the literal. Thus, one begins with the concealed, called Sod (secret), and when he is rewarded, he ends in the literal.

104) It has been thoroughly clarified how it is possible to attain the first degree of love, which is conditional love. We learned that even though there is no reward for a Mitzva in this world, the attainment of the reward for the Mitzva exists in worldly life nonetheless. It comes to a person by opening the eyes in the Torah. And this clear attainment is completely similar to receiving instantaneous reward for the Mitzva.

Hence, one feels the wonderful benefit contained in the Thought of Creation, which is to delight His creatures with His full, good, and generous hand. Because of the abundance of benefit that one attains, wondrous love appears between a person and the Creator. It pours to one incessantly, by the same ways and channels through which natural love appears.

105) However, all this comes to a person from the moment he attains onwards. Yet, one does not want to remember all the torment caused by the Providence in concealment of the face he had suffered before he attained the above disclosure of the face, since “love covereth all transgressions.” Nevertheless, it is considered a great flaw, even with love among people, much less concerning the truthfulness of His Providence, since He is Good who does good to the good and to the bad.

Therefore, we must understand how one can attain His love in such a way that he will feel and know that the Creator has always done him wondrous good, since the day he was born onwards; that He has never, nor will ever cause him an ounce of harm, which is the second manner of love.

106) To understand that, we need the words of our sages. They said, “one who repents from love, his sins become as virtues.” It means that not only does the Creator forgive his sins, each sin and transgression one had made is turned into a Mitzva by the Creator.

107) Hence, after one attains the illumination of the face in such a measure that each sin he had committed, even the deliberate ones, is turned and becomes a Mitzva for him, one rejoices with all the torment and affliction he had ever suffered since the time he was placed in the two discernments of concealment of the face. This is because it is them that brought him all these sins, which have now become Mitzvot, by the illumination of His face, who performs wonders.

And any sorrow and trouble that drove him out of wits, and where he failed with mistakes, as in the first concealment, or failed with sins, as in the double concealment, has now become a cause and preparation for keeping a Mitzva and the reception of eternal and wondrous reward for it. Therefore, any sorrow has turned for him into great joy and any evil to wonderful good.

108) This is similar to a well-known tale about a Jew who was a house trustee for a certain landlord. The landlord loved him dearly. Once, the landlord went away, and left his business in the hands of his substitute, who was an anti-Semite.

What did he do? He took the Jew and struck him five times in front of everyone, to thoroughly humiliate him.

Upon the landlord’s return, the Jew went to him and told him all that had happened to him. His anger was kindled, and he called the substitute and commanded him to promptly give the Jew a thousand coins for every time he had struck him.

The Jew took them and went home. His wife found him crying. She asked him anxiously, “What happened to you with the landlord?” He told her. She asked, “Then why are you crying?” He answered, “I am crying because he only beat me five times. I wish he had beaten me at least ten times, since now I would have had ten thousand coins.”

109) Now you see that after one has been awarded repentance of the sins in a way that the sins became to him as virtues, one is then awarded achieving the second degree of love of the Creator, where the loved one never caused his loved one any harm or even a shadow of harm. Instead, He performs wondrous and plentiful good, always and forever, in a way that repentance from love and the turning of the sins into merits come as one.

110) Thus far, we examined only the two degrees of conditional love. Yet, we must still understand how one is awarded coming in the two manners of unconditional love with one’s Maker.

End of Part THREE of FOUR

Original Post Link - Introduction to The Study of the Ten Sefirot

COURTESY: Bnei Baruch Kabbalah Education & Research Institute

Copyright © 2006. Bnei Baruch. All rights reserved.

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