READING: between after midnight and sunrise of Thursday

From the Love of Man to the Love of the Creator

From the Love of Man to the Love of the Creator – elected Excerpts from the Sources

1. RABASH, Article No. 410, “Self-Love and Love of the Creator”

There is self-love and there is love of the Creator, and there is a medium, which is love of others. Through love of others we come to the love of the Creator. This is the meaning of what Rabbi Akiva said, “Love your neighbor as yourself is a great rule in the Torah.”

2. RABASH, Article No. 410, “Self-Love and Love of the Creator”

Old Hillel said to the gentile who told him, “Teach me the whole Torah on one leg.” He said to him, “That which you hate, do not do to your friend. And the rest, go study.” This is so because through love of others we come to love the Creator, and then the whole Torah and all the wisdom are in his heart.

It is written, “The Creator said to Israel, ‘Be sure, the whole wisdom and the whole Torah are easy. Anyone who fears Me and performs the words of Torah, all the wisdom and all of the Torah are in his heart’” (“Introduction to The Study of the Ten Sefirot,” where he references Midrash Rabbah, portion VeZot HaBracha). Concerning fear, it is explained in the Sulam [Ladder commentary on The Zohar], that it is fear that he might not be able to bestow upon the Creator, since it is the conduct of love that he wants to bestow upon the Creator.

Hence, one who has love of the Creator wants to bestow, and this is called Dvekut [adhesion], as in “And to cleave unto Him.” By this the Creator passes onto him Torah and wisdom. It follows that he taught him on one leg, meaning that through love of others he will achieve the degree of love of the Creator, and then he will be rewarded with Torah and wisdom.

3. RABASH, Article No. 270, “Anyone with Whom the Spirit of the People Is Pleased – 2”

It is known that it is impossible to achieve love of the Creator before a person is rewarded with love of people through “love your neighbor as yourself,” which Rabbi Akiva said is a great rule in the Torah. That is, by this a person accustoms himself to love people, which is love of others, and then he can achieve the degree of loving the Creator.

By this we should interpret the above-said, “Anyone with whom the spirit of the people is content,” meaning that the spirit of the people is content with him, for he always engages in love of people, and always watches out for love of others. Then the spirit of the Creator is also pleased with him, meaning he enjoys making the spirit of the Creator, meaning bestowing upon the Creator. But it is not so with one who engages in love of self; then it is certain that the spirit of the Creator is also not pleased with him.

4. Baal HaSulam, “The Love of God and the Love of Man”

When one completes one’s work in love of others and bestowal upon others through the final point, one also completes one’s love for the Creator and bestowal upon the Creator. And there is no difference between the two, for anything that is outside one’s body, meaning outside one’s self-interest, is judged equally—either to bestow upon one’s friend or to bestow contentment upon one’s Maker.

This is what Hillel Hanasi assumed, that “Love your friend as yourself” is the ultimate goal in the practice, as it is the clearest nature and form to man.

We should not be mistaken about actions, since they are set before his eyes. He knows that if he puts the needs of his friend before his own needs, then he is in the quality of bestowal. For this reason, he does not define the goal as “And you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might,” for indeed they are one and the same, since he should also love his friend with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, as this is the meaning of the words “as yourself.” He certainly loves himself with all his heart and soul and might, and with the Creator, he may deceive oneself, but with his friend it is always spread out before his eyes.

5. Baal HaSulam, “The Love of God and the Love of Man”

Our sages spoke only of the practical part of the Torah, which brings the world and the Torah to the desired goal. Therefore, when they say one Mitzva, they certainly mean a practical Mitzva. This is certainly as Hillel says, meaning “Love your friend as yourself.” It is by this Mitzva alone that one attains the real goal, which is Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator. Thus, you find that with this one Mitzva, one observes the entire goal and purpose.

Now there is no question about the Mitzvot between man and the Creator because the practical ones among them have the same purpose of cleansing the body, the last point of which is to love your friend as yourself, after which immediately comes the Dvekut.

6. RABASH, Letter No. 66

The Creator has given us commandments between man and man, by which man accustoms himself to work in favor of his neighbor. By that he comes to a higher degree, to having the ability to work for the Creator as well. Otherwise, even though a person engages in Torah and Mitzvot, he cannot engage for the Creator. It therefore follows that if he engages only in Torah, and not in doing good, he cannot work in order to bestow because he lacks the quality of love of others. It therefore follows that although he engages in Torah and Mitzvot, if it is not for the Creator, it is as one who has no God, for if he truly had the sensation of Godliness, he would certainly be engaging in order to bestow. But if he had engaged in doing good, then he would have the quality of love of others, by which he would also come to love the Creator, and would have the ability to observe Torah and Mitzvot for the Creator. It turns out that a person should have the power and force to overcome his qualities, to turn them into being in favor of others, for by that he will later be rewarded with working with those qualities for the Creator.

7. Baal HaSulam, “The Peace”

There is no other cure for humanity but to assume the commandment of Providence to bestow upon others in order to bring contentment to the Creator in the measure of the two verses.

The first is “love your friend as yourself,” which is the attribute of the work itself. This means that the measure of work to bestow upon others for the happiness of society should be no less than the measure imprinted in man to care for his own needs. Moreover, he should put his fellow person’s needs before his own […]

The other verse is, “And you will love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.” This is the goal that must be before everyone’s eyes when laboring for one’s friend’s needs. This means that he labors and toils only to be liked by the Creator, as He said, “and they do His will.”

8. Baal HaSulam, “The Arvut” [Mutual Guarantee, Item 22

The impression that comes to a person when engaging in Mitzvot between man and the Creator is completely the same as the impression he gets when engaging in Mitzvot between man and man, since one is obliged to perform all the Mitzvot Lishma [for Her sake], without any hope for self-love, meaning that no light or hope returns to him through his trouble in the form of reward or honor, etc. Here, at this exalted point, the love of the Creator and the love of his friend unite and actually become one.

In this manner one affects a certain measure of advancement on the ladder of love for others in all the people of the world in general, since that degree, which that individual caused by his actions, whether large or small, ultimately joins the future in shifting the world to the side of merit, since his share has been added and joins the shift.

9. RABASH, Article No. 13 (1986), “Come Unto Pharaoh 2”

We should know that we were given love of friends to learn how to avoid blemishing the King’s honor. In other words, unless he has no other desire except to give contentment to the King, he will certainly blemish the King’s honor, which is called “Passing on Kedusha [holiness/sanctity] to the external ones.” For this reason, we mustn’t underestimate the importance of the work in love of friends, for by that he will learn how to exit self-love and enter the path of love of others. And when he completes the work of love of friends, he will be able to be rewarded with love of the Creator.

10. Baal HaSulam, “The Writings of the Last Generation”

All of the anticipated reward from the Creator, and the purpose of the entire creation, are Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator, as in, “A tower filled abundantly, but no guests.” This is what they who cling to Him with love receive.

Naturally, first, one emerges from imprisonment, which is emerging from the skin of one’s body by bestowal upon others. Subsequently, one comes to the king’s palace, which is Dvekut with Him through the intention to bestow contentment upon one’s maker.

Therefore, the bulk of commandments are between man and man. One who gives preference to the commandments between man and God is as one who climbs to the second step before he has climbed to the first step. Clearly, he will break his legs.

11. RABASH, Article No. 6 (1984), “Love of Friends – 2”

When they gather, each of them should think that he has now come for the purpose of annulling self-love. It means that he will not consider how to satisfy his will to receive now, but will think as much as possible only of the love of others. This is the only way to acquire the desire and the need to acquire a new quality, called “the will to bestow.”

And from love of friends one can reach love of the Creator, meaning wanting to give contentment to the Creator.

12. Baal HaSulam, “The Freedom”

The Torah and the Mitzvot were given only to purify Israel, to develop in us the sense of recognition of evil imprinted in us at birth, which is generally defined as our self-love, and to come to the pure good defined as “love of others,” which is the one and only passage to the love of the Creator.

13. Baal HaSulam, Article No. 15, “Matan Torah” (The Giving of the Torah)

The essence of the Torah is “Love your friend as yourself,” and the remaining six hundred and twelve Mitzvot are but an interpretation and preparation for it […]. And even the Mitzvot between man and the Creator are regarded as a preparation for that Mitzva, which is the final aim emerging from the Torah and Mitzvot, as our sages said, “The Torah and Mitzvot were given only so as to cleanse Israel” […], which is the cleansing of the body until one acquires a second nature defined as “love for others,” meaning the one Mitzva: “Love your friend as yourself,” which is the final aim of the Torah, after which one immediately obtains Dvekut with Him.

14. Baal HaSulam, Article No. 15, “Matan Torah” [The Giving of the Torah]

With respect to a person who is still within the nature of creation, there is no difference between the love of the Creator and the love of his fellow person, for anything that is from another is unreal to him.

And because that proselyte asked of Hillel HaNasi to explain to him the desired outcome of the Torah, so his goal would be near and he would not have to walk a long way, as he said, “Teach me the whole Torah while I am standing on one leg,” he defined it for him as love of his friend since its aim is nearer and is revealed faster, since it is mistake-proof and is demanding.

15. Baal HaSulam, Shamati, Article No. 67, “Depart from Evil”

One who thinks that he is deceiving his friend is really deceiving the Creator, since besides man’s body there is only the Creator. This is because it is the essence of creation that man is called “creature” only with respect to himself. The Creator wants man to feel that he is a separate reality from Him; but other than this, it is all “The whole earth is full of His glory.”

Hence, when lying to one’s friend, one is lying to the Creator; and when saddening one’s friend, one is saddening the Creator. For this reason, if one is accustomed to say the truth, it will help him with respect to the Creator.

16. Rabbi Israel Meir HaCohen, HaChafetz Chaim, Zachor LeMiriam, 11

When is the Creator fond of creation? When Israel are united together and there is no envy, hatred, or competition among them whatsoever, when each one thinks only of his friend’s benefit. At that time, the Creator is happy with His creation, and it was said about this, “The Lord will delight in His deeds.” By intimation, we can thereby explain the verse, “Love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord.” That is, if you love your neighbor as yourself, I the Lord will be within you, and I will love you both.

17. Baal HaSulam, Letter No. 60

Introduction

Baal HaSulam wrote this letter in response to a question that was sent to him following the publication of the essay Matan Torah [“The Giving of the Torah”], where he elaborates on the commandment, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” being the whole of the Torah, and that it means that one should be care for one’s friend’s benefit no less than one cares for one’s own benefit. The sender of the question did not know Baal HaSulam at all, but came across his essay. Baal HaSulam copied the question and underneath it wrote his reply. According to the manner of the writing, it seems as though he intended to publish it in future publications.

The QuestionI

… If the essence of the Torah is only to be concerned with people and nothing more, why do all of the Torah, the authors of the Talmud, the rabbinical authorities hardly speak of it at all? Did they all abandon the main issue and dealt only with the marginal? In my view, all your words in this regard completely contradict conventional religion in Israel, and as has been the norm among us. In my opinion, this required force is a new construction, a new method that you have invented from your own mind. Of course, I am only expressing my opinion.

Signed, M.L. Petah Tikva

The Reply

It seems as though you did not delve in my words sufficiently. All I wrote was that there was a precondition from the beginning of the reception of the Torah, but afterward, since the time of the making of the calf, the package has been taken apart, since wars occurred and the children of Levi killed three thousand men by the word of the Creator, and then the grievances against Moses and Aaron, and the spies. Naturally, all those did not add love or unity.

Afterward, after the coming to the land [of Israel], it was still not quiet. Hence, it was irrelevant to ask anyone to uphold this prime commandment. However, in order for the Torah not to be forgotten from Israel, they began to engage in the rest of the commandments although they had abandoned its main point, since they had no other choice. Perhaps this is what our sages meant when they asked about the ruin of the Second Temple, that there was no idolatry there and they were proficient in Torah, so why was it ruined? They said it was for unfounded hatred. Perhaps this means that it was because they could not engage in the heart of the construction of the Torah, which is “love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18).