READING: FROM MIDNIGHT TO DAWN SUNDAY

Purifying the Heart

LESSON MATERIAL

Purifying the Heart – Selected Excerpts from the sources

1. RABASH, Article No. 30 (1989), “What Is the Meaning of Lighting the Menorah in the Work?”

Prayer means that he should know that the Torah and Mitzvot he is observing are not for the sake of the Creator but for the sake of the created being. This means that since he wants to purify his heart, as it is written, “Purify our hearts to serve You in truth,” it follows that through prayer, when a person prays for the purification of the heart, he will remember that the Torah and Mitzvot that a person observes is for man’s sake. At that time, he sees how the evil controls a person and he cannot emerge from its governance. In other words, by observing Torah and Mitzvot and praying, these bring him the purity of the heart.

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

The mind serves the heart, which is the will to receive, just as the hands and legs and the rest of the assistants that one has. For this reason, there is no other way but to purify the heart, for which reason we pray, “Purify our hearts to serve You in truth.” The mind cannot determine for man to walk on the good path or to the contrary. Rather, 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.

3. RABASH, Article No. 342, “Noah Was a Righteous Man”

Man has no control over his heart, to be able to change the feeling in the heart, if the heart feels what his contemporaries tell it, and the heart takes after the majority.

For this reason, there is no other choice but to overcome through actions, perform acts of bestowal, and ask the Creator to give him another heart, as it is written, “Purify our hearts.”

4. RABASH, Article No. 268, “One Learns Only Where One’s Heart Desires”

One who wants to come closer to the Creator and be able to learn things that show ways by which to bestow upon the Creator must pray to the Creator to give him a different heart, as it is written, “A pure heart, create for me, O God.”

In other words, when there is another heart, and the desire in the heart is a desire to bestow, everything he learns will show ways of things that show only bestowal upon the Creator. However, he will never see against the heart, as was said about it, “And I will remove the stony heart from within you, and I will give you a heart of flesh.”

5. RABASH, Article No. 268, “One Learns Only Where One’s Heart Desires”

The only advice is to pray to the Creator to give him a different heart, meaning to understand that there is nothing better than to give contentment to the Creator.

At that time, he will be able to see his faults, for specifically by understanding that if he sees the fault, he will gain merit for himself because he will be able to correct, for otherwise he will remain with all the faults.

It follows that the debt is his privilege. At that time, it will be possible to examine the fault, unlike one who does not work in correction, and who will never see the faults.

6. RABASH, Article No. 623, “Purify Our Hearts”

Before one achieves the state of bestowal, when his intention is for the sake of the Creator, there must be a concealment. Only after a person purifies his actions does the Creator behave with him with open Providence.

For this reason, we pray to the Creator to purify our actions, as in “A pure heart, create for me, O God.” And why does one pray that the Creator will purify his actions? It is not because he wants to be rewarded with open Providence, but in order to shut the mouths of the agitators.

7. RABASH, Article No. 35 (1989), “What Is the Help in the Work that One Should Ask of the Creator?”

It is written, “Purify our hearts to serve You in truth.” The purity of the heart will be that our work will be in truth, meaning in order to bestow contentment upon his Maker. A lie means that a person says that he is working for the Creator, when in fact he is working for his own benefit and not for the sake of the Creator. “Learners of Torah” are those who understand that it is worthwhile to attain the Torah, since the Torah cannot be where there is separation, and self-benefit separates man from the Creator.

8. RABASH, Article No. 26 (1985), “Show Me Your Glory”

The path of truth is called Lishma [for Her sake], meaning that he does everything in order to bestow contentment upon the Creator. At that time the resistance of the body comes to him when it argues that it understands that all his work is to satisfy the vessels of the body, which is self-love. At that time one begins to see that he cannot go against the body, and then he needs the Creator’s help. This is considered that he already has a Kli, meaning a desire and need for the Creator to fulfill him, and then what our sages said, “He who comes to purify is aided”.

9. RABASH, Article No. 25 (1990), “What Is, ‘Praise the Lord, All Nations,’ in the Work?”

Yet, it is written, “He who comes to purify is aided,” which implies that man’s work did help the Creator, creating a place to give help, so why is it said that everything is done by the Creator? We should interpret what our sages said, “He who comes to purify.” That is, if we see that the person came on his own to purify, which is an awakening from below, the answer to this is “He is being aided.”

That is, the fact that he has come to purify comes by assistance from above. Otherwise, he would not come to purify. It follows that the fact came to purify also comes from the Creator and not from the created being.

10. RABASH, Article No. 30 (1989), “What Is the Meaning of Lighting the Menorah in the Work?”

Only when a person comes to a state where he says, “Salvation by man is in vain,” meaning that one cannot help himself and choose the good. In other words, when a person sees that this matter is difficult from every angle, then the help from above comes to him and the verse, “He who comes to purify is aided” comes true. That is, when a person comes to purify and begins to walk on the path of achieving bestowal and uprooting the evil from within him, he sees that it is out of his hands. At that time, the Kli is completed from man’s perspective, meaning the lack, when he becomes needy of the Creator to help him emerge from the control of the evil.

LESSON

Purifying the Heart – Selected Excerpts from the sources

1. RABASH, Article No. 30 (1989), “What Is the Meaning of Lighting the Menorah in the Work?”

Prayer means that he should know that the Torah and Mitzvot he is observing are not for the sake of the Creator but for the sake of the created being. This means that since he wants to purify his heart, as it is written, “Purify our hearts to serve You in truth,” it follows that through prayer, when a person prays for the purification of the heart, he will remember that the Torah and Mitzvot that a person observes is for man’s sake. At that time, he sees how the evil controls a person and he cannot emerge from its governance. In other words, by observing Torah and Mitzvot and praying, these bring him the purity of the heart.

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

The mind serves the heart, which is the will to receive, just as the hands and legs and the rest of the assistants that one has. For this reason, there is no other way but to purify the heart, for which reason we pray, “Purify our hearts to serve You in truth.” The mind cannot determine for man to walk on the good path or to the contrary. Rather, 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.

3. RABASH, Article No. 342, “Noah Was a Righteous Man”

Man has no control over his heart, to be able to change the feeling in the heart, if the heart feels what his contemporaries tell it, and the heart takes after the majority.

For this reason, there is no other choice but to overcome through actions, perform acts of bestowal, and ask the Creator to give him another heart, as it is written, “Purify our hearts.”

4. RABASH, Article No. 268, “One Learns Only Where One’s Heart Desires”

One who wants to come closer to the Creator and be able to learn things that show ways by which to bestow upon the Creator must pray to the Creator to give him a different heart, as it is written, “A pure heart, create for me, O God.”

In other words, when there is another heart, and the desire in the heart is a desire to bestow, everything he learns will show ways of things that show only bestowal upon the Creator. However, he will never see against the heart, as was said about it, “And I will remove the stony heart from within you, and I will give you a heart of flesh.”

5. RABASH, Article No. 268, “One Learns Only Where One’s Heart Desires”

The only advice is to pray to the Creator to give him a different heart, meaning to understand that there is nothing better than to give contentment to the Creator.

At that time, he will be able to see his faults, for specifically by understanding that if he sees the fault, he will gain merit for himself because he will be able to correct, for otherwise he will remain with all the faults.

It follows that the debt is his privilege. At that time, it will be possible to examine the fault, unlike one who does not work in correction, and who will never see the faults.

6. RABASH, Article No. 623, “Purify Our Hearts”

Before one achieves the state of bestowal, when his intention is for the sake of the Creator, there must be a concealment. Only after a person purifies his actions does the Creator behave with him with open Providence.

For this reason, we pray to the Creator to purify our actions, as in “A pure heart, create for me, O God.” And why does one pray that the Creator will purify his actions? It is not because he wants to be rewarded with open Providence, but in order to shut the mouths of the agitators.

7. RABASH, Article No. 35 (1989), “What Is the Help in the Work that One Should Ask of the Creator?”

It is written, “Purify our hearts to serve You in truth.” The purity of the heart will be that our work will be in truth, meaning in order to bestow contentment upon his Maker. A lie means that a person says that he is working for the Creator, when in fact he is working for his own benefit and not for the sake of the Creator. “Learners of Torah” are those who understand that it is worthwhile to attain the Torah, since the Torah cannot be where there is separation, and self-benefit separates man from the Creator.

8. RABASH, Article No. 26 (1985), “Show Me Your Glory”

The path of truth is called Lishma [for Her sake], meaning that he does everything in order to bestow contentment upon the Creator. At that time the resistance of the body comes to him when it argues that it understands that all his work is to satisfy the vessels of the body, which is self-love. At that time one begins to see that he cannot go against the body, and then he needs the Creator’s help. This is considered that he already has a Kli, meaning a desire and need for the Creator to fulfill him, and then what our sages said, “He who comes to purify is aided”.

9. RABASH, Article No. 25 (1990), “What Is, ‘Praise the Lord, All Nations,’ in the Work?”

Yet, it is written, “He who comes to purify is aided,” which implies that man’s work did help the Creator, creating a place to give help, so why is it said that everything is done by the Creator? We should interpret what our sages said, “He who comes to purify.” That is, if we see that the person came on his own to purify, which is an awakening from below, the answer to this is “He is being aided.”

That is, the fact that he has come to purify comes by assistance from above. Otherwise, he would not come to purify. It follows that the fact came to purify also comes from the Creator and not from the created being.

10. RABASH, Article No. 30 (1989), “What Is the Meaning of Lighting the Menorah in the Work?”

Only when a person comes to a state where he says, “Salvation by man is in vain,” meaning that one cannot help himself and choose the good. In other words, when a person sees that this matter is difficult from every angle, then the help from above comes to him and the verse, “He who comes to purify is aided” comes true. That is, when a person comes to purify and begins to walk on the path of achieving bestowal and uprooting the evil from within him, he sees that it is out of his hands. At that time, the Kli is completed from man’s perspective, meaning the lack, when he becomes needy of the Creator to help him emerge from the control of the evil.