READING: between after midnight and sunrise of Thursday.

Lesson on the topic of “To Hear The Voice of the Creator”

To Hear The Voice of the Creator – Selected Excerpts from the sources

1. RABASH, Article No. 940, “The Point in the Heart”

Through our work we will be rewarded with hearing, as it is written, “And all the people were seeing the voices,” meaning they heard the voice of the Creator.

Seeing means with the senses, which is a feeling in the heart, where each one, by Mount Sinai, felt that the voice of the Creator spoke to him and they had no doubt about the matter. This is called “seeing.” Similarly, when a person sees something, he has no doubt about it, unlike when he hears, for perhaps he did not hear very well. Therefore, we do not rely on hearsay but only on eye witnessing.

For this reason, at the time of the giving of the Torah, when they had no doubt that this was the voice of the Creator, it is called “seeing,” as it is written, “I and you shall have no [other Gods], we heard from the mouth of the Creator”.

2. RABASH, Letter No. 41

“And the whole of the people were seeing the voices.” When the voice of the Creator is heard in the heart, that feeling is as sufficient as actual seeing “for man shall not see Me and live.” However, by seeing the voices, meaning by the voice of the Creator spreading into the heart, not into the ear—for the ear is external and only the heart is the man—hence, the voice of the Creator must be felt in the heart. This is when it is called “seeing the voices,” and then each one lives in a world that is utterly good, and the heart feels the “You have chosen us” because it tastes the brightness of the upper pleasantness and the sweet savor of the light of the Creator spreads throughout his heart. This is when we see, “Happy are you in this world and happy are you in the next world.”

3. RABASH, Article No. 19 (1990), “Why Is the Torah Called ‘Middle Line’ in the Work? – 2”

“And the whole people saw the voices.” It is known that “voice” means Hesed, which comes from “hearing,” which is called Bina. “Seeing” is called Hochma, as it is written, “The eyes of the congregation are the sages of the congregation.” Also, Hochma that shines in vessels of reception requires keeping, so as not to receive them in order to receive. Hence, clothing of Hassadim must be extended to it, called “voice” and “hearing.”

Therefore, the words, “And the whole people saw the voices” mean that they saw that they received the light of Hochma when it is clothed in a voice, in Hesed.

4. RABASH, Article No. 942, “Concerning the Mind Controlling the Heart”

As was said at the time of the giving of the Torah, “We will do and we will hear.” That is, first, we will do mindlessly, and then we will be rewarded with hearing, so we can hear that what we are doing is what is good for us. Conversely, if we first want to understand that it is worthwhile for us to bestow upon the Creator and then we will do, we will never achieve this.

5. RABASH, Article No. 821, “We Will Do and We Will Hear – 2”

Annulment is called “doing” and not “hearing.” “Hearing” means understanding, and “doing” is only power without knowledge. This is “We will do and we will hear,” meaning that if he has the power of “doing” then he can receive “hearing” because his basis is faith and not knowledge.

6. RABASH, Article No. 11 (1990), “What Placing the Hanukkah Candle on the Left Means in the Work”

We were given the work in Torah and Mitzvot in the form of “We shall do and we shall hear.” This means that by doing and observing Torah and Mitzvot in action, we will be rewarded with the state of hearing, too.

In other words, one must observe Torah and Mitzvot even by coercion. There is no need to wait for a time when he has a desire to observe Torah and Mitzvot, and then he will observe. Rather, one must overcome and observe only in action, but the doing will later bring him hearing, meaning that afterwards he will hear about the importance of Torah and Mitzvot. In other words, he will be rewarded with the delight and pleasure that is found in Torah and Mitzvot. This is the meaning of Israel’s saying, “We shall do and we shall hear.”

7. RABASH, Letter No. 18

When we hear the voice of the Creator speaking to the heart, as in “He who comes to purify is aided,” and it was interpreted in the holy Zohar that he is aided by a holy soul, meaning that the heart hears the voice of the Creator and then specifically the voice of holiness receives the governance over all the desires, meaning the desire to bestow. And naturally, they will not turn back to folly, meaning he will not sin again because all the desires of reception have surrendered under the desire to bestow.

At that time all the good pleasantness appears on the heart, for then there is room in the heart for the instilling of the Shechina (Divinity), and the gentleness and pleasantness, and flavor and friendship spread, and fill up all of man’s organs.

This applies specifically when hearing the voice of the Creator. At that time the whole body surrenders and enslaves itself to holiness.

8. Baal HaSulam, Shamati, Article No. 241. “Call Upon Him When He Is Near”

When he hears the voice calling him, he awakens to repent.

But this is the voice of the Creator, not his own voice. But if he has not completed his actions on the path of correction, he cannot feel or believe that this is the voice of the Creator, and he thinks that it is his power and the might of his hand. This is what the prophet warns about, that one should overcome one’s view and thought, and believe with complete faith that it is the voice of the Creator.

9. Baal HaSulam, Letter No. 19

If one listens to His voice, as in “The Lord of your shade,” one does not fall and descend due to the increasing affliction of the stimuli since he sees and hears that the Shechina also suffers as he does by the increased longing. Thus, one’s longing grows and intensifies each time until one’s point in the heart is completed with complete will in a tight knot that will not crumble.

10. Pri HaAretz [Fruit of the Land], Letter No. 10

The thing that leads to keeping from ignorance and cessation of Dvekut [adhesion] is the connection and love, and true peace in Dvekut among friends. Indeed, without this, he is in concealment of the Face. If his heart rushes to separate him from people over some hatred and envy, he should quickly run to his brothers, the friends who truly listen to the voice of the Creator