READING: between after midnight and sunrise of Tuesday.

Baal HaSulam. Shamati, 53. The Matter of Limitation

53. The Matter of Limitation

I heard on the eve of Shabbat, Sivan 1, June 4, 1943

The matter of limitation is to limit the state one is in and not want Gadlut [greatness/adulthood]. Instead, one wants to remain in one’s present state forever, and this is called eternal Dvekut [adhesion]. Regardless of the measure of Gadlut that one has, even if he has the smallest Katnut [smallness/infancy], if it shines forever, it is considered having been imparted eternal Dvekut.

However, one who wants more Gadlut, it is considered luxury. This is the meaning of “Any sorrow will be surplus,” meaning that sadness comes to a person because he wants luxuries. This is what it means that when Israel came to receive the Torah, Moses led them to the bottom of the mountain, as it is written, “And they stood at the bottom of the mountain.”

(A mountain [Hebrew: Har] means thoughts [Hebrew: Hirhurim]). Moses led them to the end of the thought and the understanding and the reason, the lowest degree there is. Only then, when they agreed to such a state, to walk in it without any wavering or motion, and remain in that state as if they had the greatest Gadlut, and to be happy about it, this is the meaning of “Serve the Lord with gladness,” since during the Gadlut, it cannot be said that He gives them work to be in gladness because during the Gadlut, gladness comes by itself. Instead, the work of gladness is given to them for the time of Katnut, so they will have joy although they feel Katnut. And this is a lot of work.

This is called “the main part of the degree,” which is discerned as Katnut. This discernment must be permanent, and the Gadlut is only an addition. Also, one should yearn for the main part, not for the additions.