WEDNESDAY PRAYER: NETZACH -TIKKUN CHATZOT תקון חצות – LESSON WITH RAV MICHAEL LAITMAN
READING: BETWEEN AFTER MIDNINGHT AND DAWN WEDNESDAY
Rabash. What It Means that the World Was Created for the Torah. 3 (1990)
LESSON MEDIA
What It Means that the World Was Created for the Torah
Article 3, 1990
RASHI brings the words of our sages about “In the beginning [God] created,” “for the Torah, which is called ‘the beginning of his way,’ and for Israel, who were called ‘The holy of Israel, his first crop.’”
We should understand what it means that “The world was created for the Torah.” “Torah,” simply put, is the King’s commandments, who commanded to observe them. But are the King’s commandments lacking, and want to have someone following them? Do they have feelings?
We can say that the King wants His commandments followed. But this pertains to a flesh and blood king, who wants to command them and enjoys this. But we cannot say this about the Creator, that He wants to be given respect and that they will keep what He commands them.
Also, we should understand what our sages said, that the world was created for Israel, meaning not for the Torah. Therefore, we should understand if the creation of the world has two reasons or is it one reason, meaning that both point to the same thing.
It is known that the reason for the creation of the world was His desire to do good to His creations. In order to carry out the perfection of His deeds, meaning so there would not be shame, a Tzimtzum [restriction] and concealment were established, so the delight and pleasure would not shine unless the receiver has the intention to bestow. Otherwise, there is a concealment of the face of the Creator. For this reason, we were given the commandment of faith that He leads His world as The Good Who Does Good, whereby the commandment of faith in the Creator, and by observing the Torah and Mitzvot [commandments/good deeds] on the basis of faith, the matter of shame will be corrected.
However, because of the creation of the creatures, who were created with a desire to receive for themselves, the creatures cannot achieve a degree where all their actions are for the sake of the Creator and not for their own sake. This is why the will to receive is called “evil,” and one who walks in the path of this evil is called “wicked.” The will to receive for one’s own benefit is called “evil inclination” because all it depicts for one to do is to do everything only in a manner of self-reception, and this harms a person.
This means that this is the only reason why a person cannot obtain the delight and pleasure that the Creator wishes to impart upon the creatures, since there was a correction on this quality, called “will to receive for oneself,” since the will to receive is opposite from the Creator, whose desire is only to bestow, while the will to receive cannot be a giver.
In order to have equivalence of form, meaning that while a person receives he will be able to aim that the reception will be in order to bestow, this is already considered that he bestows. This is called “equivalence of form” or Dvekut [adhesion], since in spirituality, equivalence is called Dvekut, although in the act he is receiving. This is called “receiving in order to bestow.”
However, how can one achieve equivalence of form? Since the Creator created this will to receive, how is it possible to revoke the nature that the Creator created? There was a correction on this that while it is impossible to revoke the nature of the will to receive, an intention to bestow is added on top of it. It follows that the will to receive, meaning that a person sees something from which he can enjoy, remains. In other words, a person still enjoys in the end, but with a different intention. This is called “receiving in order to bestow.”
However, how can one have a different aim than to receive for his own benefit, but rather for the benefit of the Creator? Our sages said about this, “The Creator said, ‘I have created the evil inclination; I have created the Torah as a spice.’” In other words, through the Segula [merit/virtue/remedy] of Torah and Mitzvot, a person can obtain the desire to bestow. This is the only way by which one can be rewarded with vessels of bestowal, and our sages said about it, “The light in it reforms him.”
It follows that through the Torah, a person will obtain vessels of bestowal, and then he will be able to receive the delight and pleasure that the Creator wants to give to the created beings. In this respect, the Torah is called “613 counsels,” meaning 613 tips by which one is rewarded with vessels of bestowal.
Afterward, once he is rewarded with vessels of bestowal through the Torah, he must receive the delight and pleasure that is found in the thought of the Creator. That delight and pleasure is also called “Torah,” meaning that at that time, the 613 counsels become 613 deposits. This means that in each Mitzva [singular of Mitzvot] there is a special light.
This is as it is written (“Introduction of The Book of Zohar,” “General Explanation for All Fourteen Commandments and How They Divide into the Seven Days of Creation,” Item 1), “In Torah and Mitzvot there are ‘We shall do’ and ‘We shall hear,’ as our sages said, ‘Doers of His word, to hear the voice of His word. In the beginning, they do, and in the end, they hear.’ When observing Torah and Mitzvot as ‘doers of His word,’ prior to being rewarded with hearing, the Mitzvot are called ‘613 counsels,’ and are considered Achor [back/posterior]. When rewarded with hearing ‘the voice of His word,’ the 613 Mitzvot become Pekudin, from the word Pikadon [deposit], for in each Mitzva, the light of a unique degree is deposited.”
According to the above, we can interpret what we asked, What does it mean that the world was created for the Torah? Does the Torah have feelings, that she should feel that she needs someone to observe her? We also asked, But elsewhere, our sages said that the world was created for Israel?
The thing is that both point to the same thing—that the reason for the creation of the world was His desire to do good to His creations. It is written (Midrash Rabbah, Beresheet) that when the Creator wanted to create Adam HaRishon, the angels objected to this saying, “What is man that You should think of him? Why do You need this trouble?” The Creator replied to them that it is like a king who has a tower filled with abundance but he has no guests.
It follows that man’s creation was in order to do good to His creations. This is why they said that the creation of the world was for Israel, who are called Resheet [beginning]. Yet, what is the delight and pleasure that He wanted to give them?
Our sages came and told us that the delight and pleasure is the Torah. That is, the creation of the world was for Israel to receive and enjoy the delight and pleasure found in the Torah.
It follows that when they said, “The world was created for Israel,” and when they said, “The world was created for the Torah,” it is the same.
However, here we are speaking of the receivers, which are Israel, and here, of what Israel receive. That is, one speaks from the perspective of the Kli [vessel], and one speaks from the perspective of the light. Yet, they are both one—light and Kli.
However, we should interpret what they said, “The world was created for the Torah,” in two ways: 1) The Torah is regarded as 613 counsels, 613 tips for subduing the evil, as it is written, “I have created the evil inclination; I have created the Torah as a spice.” That is, through the Torah, the evil is corrected because “the light in it reforms him.”
In this way, we should interpret what our sages said (Shabbat 33), “Were it not for My covenant day and night, I would not place the ordinances of heaven and earth.” They interpreted “day and night” to mean the Torah, as it is written, “And you shall reflect on it day and night.” In other words, were it not for the Torah, the world would not exist.
We should interpret that through the Torah, whose light reforms him, the world can exist. In other words, it will be possible to receive the delight and pleasure because the Torah will correct the evil in the creatures and they will have equivalence of form by which the flaw of shame will be corrected.
Naturally, if the Torah did not reform, it would be impossible for them to receive the delight and pleasure. It follows that “I would not place the ordinances of heaven and earth,” so everything would be useless.
It follows that here the Torah is regarded only as counsels, meaning tips by which to receive the good.
2) The Torah is considered 613 deposits, which are the holy names. As is said in the “Introduction of The Book of Zohar” (“General Explanation for All Fourteen Commandments and How They Divide into the Seven Days of Creation,” Item 1), “In each Mitzva, a light of a unique degree is deposited, which corresponds to a unique organ in the 613 organs and tendons of the soul and the body. It follows that while performing the Mitzva, one extends to its corresponding organ in his soul and body the degree of light that belongs to that organ and tendon. This is considered the Panim [face/anterior] of the Mitzvot,” which are then called Pekudin.
Now we can interpret what our sages said, “The world was created for the Torah,” meaning that we say that the reason for the creation of the worlds was in order to do good to His creations. That delight and pleasure is found in the Torah, which is called “the names of the Creator,” whose general name is The Good Who Does Good.
The names given to the Creator are only by way of “By Your actions we know You.” For this reason, since they attained from the Creator delight and pleasure for themselves and for the whole world, they named Him, The Good Who Does Good, as our sages said, “Good for himself, and does good to others.” This means that they perceived that they received abundance from the Creator, and also perceived that the Creator does good to others, too.
However, we cannot speak of the Creator Himself, as it is written in The Zohar, “There is no thought or perception in Him at all.” This means that it is impossible to speak of the Creator Himself because we have no attainment in the Creator. It follows that what our sages said, that the world was created for the Torah, and what our sages said, that the world was created for Israel, are the same thing. The only difference is between the light and the Kli. The light is called “Torah,” and the Kli for reception of the light is called “Israel.”
This matter is explained in the book A Sage’s Fruit (Part 1, p 118), where he explains the matter of “the Torah, Israel, and the Creator are one.” These are his words: “Thus, you see that the meaning of the 620 names, being the 613 Mitzvot of the Torah and the seven Mitzvot de Rabanan [lit. commandments of our great sages], are, in fact, the five properties of the soul, meaning NRNHY. This is because the vessels of the NRNHY are from the above 620 Mitzvot, and the lights of NRNHY are the very light of Torah in each and every Mitzva. It follows that the Torah and the soul are one. However, the Creator is the light of Ein Sof [infinity], clothed in the light of the Torah, which is found in the above 620 Mitzvot.”
It follows that “Israel” and the “Torah” are the same thing, except the difference is whether we speak from the perspective of the light or from the perspective of the Kli.
However, the order of the work is that since we were born after the sin of the tree of knowledge, we are already immersed in the will to receive for our own sake, on which there were the Tzimtzum and concealment. For this reason, the order of our work begins in work Lo Lishma [not for Her sake]. That is, when we begin to observe Torah and Mitzvot, we must believe even if Lo Lishma, since without faith, even if Lo Lishma, we cannot work.
Wherever the work is on the basis of faith, it is hard work. That is, only where the reward and punishment are revealed, the work is called “within reason” because we immediately see the results.
But when the reward and punishment are covered and we must only believe in reward and punishment, even Lo Lishma is a great effort. However, this is still not so bad because it is not against the nature of the will to receive for oneself. But if we want to achieve Dvekut, called “in order to bestow,” the body begins to resist with all its might, and it is impossible to emerge from the control of the will to receive without help from above.
It was said about this, “Were it not for the help of the Creator, he would not overcome it.” The advice for this is Torah, since “the light in it reforms him.” Afterward, when he is rewarded with vessels of bestowal, he is rewarded with the quality called “the names of the Creator,” which is the delight and pleasure that was in His thought to give to the created beings. This is the meaning of what they said, that the reason for the creation of the worlds was to do good to His creations.
LESSON
Morning Lesson November 20, 2023
Transcription is made from simultaneous translation, which leaves a possibility for differences in the audio
Part 1:
Rabash. Article No. 3, 1990. What It Means that the World Was Created for the Torah
Reading Article. (00:31) “Rashi brings the words of our. sages..”
1. S. (22:34) It says in the paragraph the one before the end, “But if we want to achieve adhesion called “in order to bestow,” the body begins to resist with all its might, so when it resists with all this might what do we do?
R. It’s when a person, it’s for a person who needs help with the Creator.
S. What’s the condition for receiving this help?
R. He needs to be adhered to the Torah and he needs to ask that he will be given help.
S. What does it mean that he’s adhered to the Torah?
R. Adhere to the Torah means that he wants to know what should he do in order to be liked by the Creator, for the Creator to influence him, bestow to him according to his exertion, the necessary forces.
2. S. (23:57) He writes to us the Rabash, that it’s possible to work in Lo Lishma if we don’t have faith. The question is, how do we achieve this faith so that we can work in Lo Lishma?
R. Faith is a special light that comes to a person on the condition that he tries to reach bestowal. Where his goal is to resemble the Creator, that quality that exists in the Creator which is bestowal or faith. He wants to perform such actions from which he will not derive personal profit, individual profit, but rather his ability will reveal itself from the actions of in order to bestow to others, to the Creator, to anyone outside of him. That’s the meaning of in order to bestow and according to his desire in it his force of faith is measured in it.
3. S. (25:55) He says that Israel and the Torah are one but what is from the perspective of the vessel and the other one is from the perspective of the light. Can you explain that?
R. Israel is the one who comes to such an attitude towards the Creator, that he wants to bestow to the Creator according to how the Creator bestows to him. That’s his goal, his purpose. Once again the question?
S. He writes that Israel and the Torah are one, however if we look from the perspective of the light it is called the Torah and if we look from the perspective of the vessel it is called Israel.
R. Yes, all the forces in a person as much as he can should be aimed at the Creator and in this way he will reveal himself as ready for receiving the light of Torah.
S. But what is this light of Torah?
R. The light of the Torah is the upper force that shines to a person that corrects his will to receive with the intention to bestow.
S. How is it one if the corrected side is Israel how come this and that are called one?
R. It’s simple, a person who has contact with the light, he begins to experience changes in his desire until it becomes a desire in order to bestow. According to the intention to bestow where he’s in equivalence of form with the Creator and he begins to feel the Creator or the Creator begins to reveal himself to him it’s the same.
S. In what are they one?
R. In the intention to bestow to one another and that causes them adhesion.
S. If he’s talking from the perspective of the one who attains the side of the created being that he can say that now he received a new quality but how can he say something about the light how can he say anything about the light? To even say that he and I are one?
R. He feels power that it appears in him and gives him the ability to bestow, to think not of himself.
4. S. (29:36) He writes that without faith it’s impossible to do even work to work in Lo Lishma.
R. Yes.
S. Where do we bring faith? Lishma is when you’re not yet don’t have yet a clean intention.
R. Faith is the upper light that shines to a person giving him the force of bestowal.
S. Faith precedes everything? Faith is bestowal to some extent?
R. That’s what we need to come to, first and foremost.
S. It’s just that it says that without faith even in the Lo Lishma we cannot work but Lo Lishma is not yet bestowal?
R. I didn’t get it.
S. He writes we must believe even in Lo Lishma since without faith even without Lo Lishma we cannot work.
R. You can’t even distinguish between whether or not he’s in Lishma or Lo Lishma.
S. What gives him faith? Maybe I’m not understanding this concept correctly.
R. Faith gives a person power to be above his desire.
S. Then what does the Lo Lishma give him?
R. The Lo Lishma? Lo Lishma is to yearn to reach Lishma but he hasn’t made it yet.
S. Why does he write without faith even in Lo Lishma he cannot work?
R. Yes, because he’s not coming out towards it, he doesn’t express a yearning for it.
S. If he achieves faith why does he need anything beyond it?
R. No, if he attains the force of faith it has nothing more to do but to increase faith.
S. I guess I’m not a grasping correctly the relationship to Lo Lishma and Lishma does he put the emphasis on here?
R. No Lishma means a person is as much as he can notice it in order to receive and he cannot come out of it. Then it is called Lo Lishma but he knows that he feels that this is his state his degree and through efforts he comes out of Lo Lishma and gradually into involves into Lishma.
S. If he feels he cannot get out of it in order to in this discernment does he need faith?
R. He needs a certain kind of illumination, yes.
S. From where do we begin to work with that illumination called faith?
R. We start from wanting to rise above his will to receive.
5. S. (33:25) He writes here that the Torah is divided into two, during the sin it is seemingly 613 councils, after the correction of the 613 deposits. What does it mean that the Torah shines to a person that has 613 councils?
R. When a person nevertheless sees how he still has this incomplete attitude towards the Creator.
S. How does a person feel it? How does a person feel that the Torah shines to him in this manner?
R. It’s hard to talk about a feeling but he feels that he cannot rise above his will to receive for himself. This still keeps him here.
S. How does he use it? How does he use the Torah at this stage?
R. He tries to bring himself light that will bring him to a higher degree. You can feel that he’s still in the will to receive, that he wants to see himself as someone who is rising above it.
S. He feels that it is the Torah that is affecting him? How does he feel in his relation to his connection to the Torah in this state?
R. It’s the upper forces, it’s the reforming light.
S. He already has such a connection, he has a feeling of this influence over him.
R. Yes.
6. S. (35:21) According to your answers to these two questions, in every degree a person shifts from low Lo Lishma to Lishma?
R. Yes.
S. The two states exist in every degree?
R. Yes.
7. S. (35:48) I feel that this concept of Torah and Mitzvot is seemingly expanded so I have a few questions about that. Does a Mitzvah begin from Lo Lishma?
R. Yes.
S. The light that is dressed in the Mitzvah and accompanies the work even when a person begins from Lo Lishma?
R. Yes
S. When we speak of Torah and Mitzvot so in every Mitzvah there is light that accompanies a person from the points of he begins in Lo Lishma?
R. Yes, all the way to Lishma.
S. When was this system of Torah and Mitzvot, when was it established? When cascading from above down?
R. It exists from the moment the person was created and his beginning to use his forces.
S. From the shattering of the vessels following the shattering of the vessels?
R. You are asking from the side of the system?
S. Yes.
R. It’s prepared from the beginning of the creation of the world.
S. Every Soul has its own Torah and Mitzvot? Every soul has its own Torah and Mitzvot
R. A person is on the degree of the soul, Neshama then of course he has connection with Torah and Mitzvot.
8. S. (37:35) He says that the Torah was given on two levels as counsels and there’s deposits. Now at least the way I feel it, we are in the counsels but once in a while we have like a little bit of deposit.
R. It’s not yet.
S. About this a little bit, how do we get faith?
R. No, no the light shines in the form of an illumination. We can’t distinguish it, we can’t notice it yet and with that itself we come close to it our desires change although we are not aware of it.
S. When we want to reach faith above reason and we want to create a prayer so we are in a certain place and we want to unite more of our parts so that they will be directed correctly. How do we do that with the friends?
R. Through connection between us as tightly as possible.
S. What will give us a bit more forces?
R. A prayer that the light that shines on our efforts will bring us closer, connect us.
9.S.(39:06) What is the condition for the reforming light to work on a person?
R. A person prepares himself for receiving the light. The light is unlimited rather to the extent that you are going towards it you receive its illumination.
S. Seems that you’re not going towards the direction of connection with the friends working with the friends you check yourself when you see that you’re doing it from the wrong intentions maybe in the end you want to reach something that?
R. Even the correct the intention, nevertheless you are exerting effort, you’re doing something nevertheless. You have invested certain efforts towards the desire against the desire.
S. What do we call these efforts against the desire before I have the right intention because when I check myself I don’t have the right intention.
R. Nevertheless you exert.
S. Yeah I would do the work between the friends.
R. That is also considered labor.
S. What’s in this exertion that draws the reforming light? How come? What’s there?
R. This is called Lo Lishma but from Lo Lishma we come to Lishma?
S. But it’s still not an intention?
R. It’s an intention but it’s concealed. A person does not feel that he is without intention. He lacks the correct attitude revealed, the open attitude, mutuality with the Creator.
10. S. (41:05) You said that the measure of the intention towards bestowal determines the measure of the revelation of the Creator. By what is the measure of the intention determined?
R. The effort a person puts in in order to reach Lishma?
S. How do we measure it? The amount of effort we make every day?
R. We can’t measure it in our work for the time being. We will be able to measure it later once we begin to receive the reforming light and according to the illumination of the light we will understand the degree of our efforts. That is why efforts without light means that we are in a state of concealment.
11. S. (42:27) Can an act done with good intention can it ever cause harm?
R. No, it cannot.
12. S. (43:04) What does it mean that in each Mitzvah the light of a unique degree is deposited?
R. Mitzvah commandment is a result of a person’s effort when he approaches the Creator. By approaching the Creator even on a part of this path, in that part of the path he reveals the light, the upper light and he can measure himself this way.
S. Can this light be used or can or is it used for later use?
R. No, you can use it of course. When the vessel is before me, are my efforts a degree of my closeness and the light that fills, it feels this excerpt that I have attained according to my efforts.
S. But it is deposited and it’s put away?
R. More accurately, it’s deposited there in the light. In that effort that I made, the light is deposited now the light begins to shine on me.
13. S. (45:08) We read that the will to receive is called evil. Question: What are the things that help a person discover the will to receive is evil?
R. What disturbs a person the most? I would say his pride, that’s the most disturbing.
S. What’s the best way to work with it?
R. Subjugate your head relative to the friends. That’s it.
14. S. (45:56) The ability not to think of oneself it’s a power so can you explain what does it mean this power?
R. I didn’t understand
S. The ability not to think of oneself not to think of oneself it’s a power, a force it’s given to a person so can you explain that relative to ourselves. It’s a force.
R. Yes.
S. Can you explain what is included in this force?
R. What is included in this force is the upper light. There’s nothing other than that. The more it shines we are above our will to receive, above our nature, to the extent that he shines so we rise and will think not of ourselves but of others, of the Creator and so on and so forth.
15. S. (47:22) It says that with the help of the Torah we receive we get vessels of bestowal. The question is, what is the light that begins to change us?
R. That the level of the light, the intensity of the light influences us and decides.
S. When we say that when we annul that we have a desire to connect and the friends go through the disturbances together?
R. The smallest thought, the smallest inclination towards connection closeness to the light influences us but for us to feel His response, His reaction in step away such a way that will be able to talk about Him that’s not instantaneous. That’s not right away, okay?
16. S. (48:29) I’m asking this question on behalf of my friend in my Ten. The question is what is the relationship between the intention and the Segula of Torah and Mitzvot? What should our intentions be when it comes to the Torah?
R. Torah is the general light, the upper force that helps us rise above our will to receive and the more we rise above, the more actions of bestowal can we perform called Mitzvot, Commandments.
17. S. (49:42) A friend’s question, what are the seven commandments of wise men?
R. We will scrutinize that later, it’s not for now.
18. S. (50:21) I want to ask a more general question, what should be the influence of faith on man’s corporeal life?
R. A person needs throughout the day to try and approach the quality of bestowal and the connection with his friends, that’s it.
19. S. (51:01) What does it mean to be rewarded with hearing the voice of His word?
R. According to how much we wish to connect to the friends, accordingly we become more worthy of hearing the voice of the Creator.
20. S. (51:37) Do the 613 Mitzvot equal the ten Sefirot?
R. The 613 Commandments?
S. Are they related to the ten Sefirot?
R. Yes, and all the 10 Sefirot of the world that dwell there is the lights to the 613 commandments rather, 620 commandments.
21. S. (52:28) It’s no secret that for women it’s difficult to connect. Where will we take this force that will push us to connection? What is this prayer that we need to have that will make us stronger?
R. Prepare for connection and you shouldn’t complain that you’re a woman and it is seemingly more difficult for you than it is for a man. There are actions that are easier for a woman to keep than a man. In general, it really doesn’t matter in relation to one’s egoism, every person receives the force that are exactly suitable for it.
22. S. (53:30) It is written that the order of the work is that since we were born after the sin of the tree of knowledge we are already immersed in the will to receive for our own sake on which there was a Tzimtzum and concealment and this is our understanding, the prison that each of us is in. What is being concealed and how can we manage to achieve that the friends are being released from prison? Because they are also in prison, how can we become free from the prison?
R. Again sorry.
S. We were born after the sin of the tree of knowledge and that is where we are immersed in sin, prison, because I’m in prison too. How can we free the friends from prison because I am in prison too?
R. By drawing reforming light. Even though I’m still in prison and I cannot help them come out, however I awaken the light, the reforming light, and in this way I come out.
S. This is personal individual work?
R. Yes, it’s individual.
23. S. (56:37) The world was created for man in order to do good to the created being, so why should a person suffer so that later he’ll be able to receive some pleasure? Why was it created this way?
R. In order to help a person to get rid of this egoism. This is why man was created inside his egoism and it’s difficult for him to get out of it. That his desire to get closer to the Creator is measured according to his efforts. That is all.
24. S. (57:40) Is there a promise to go from Lo Lishma to Lishma?
R. No, there’s no guarantee of anything. One who works it in order to get out he gets out.
25. S. (58:07) I wanted to ask about the state of receiving in order to bestow. Anyone who gets to that place is it promised to stay there or in the ascents and descents and bestowing contentment to the Creator if he came to the awareness of what it means to receive in order to bestow then going backwards is horrible or it’s promised to him that if he got there he the very least remains there. It is by the ascents and descents.
R. Yes, he remains
26. S. (58:49) Can you say that until I come to love the other the light of Torah will not shine?
R. That is correct. Where will it shine? Where will it be revealed? Only in a place where you want to come closer to give to bestow to love.
27. S. (59:37) Is the light working instantly on each and every effort or is it working on a result of the accumulation of efforts?
R. Both, there is individual light there and general light.