June 1984
“Which is a dispute for the sake of the Creator … and one that is not for the sake of the Creator is the dispute of Korah and his congregation.” There is a question: Why does it not say “Moses, and Korah and his congregation,” as it is written about Hillel and Shammai?
To understand the above, we must know the meaning of “for the sake of the Creator.” The Zohar interprets that “for the sake of the Creator” means Zeir Anpin. It is interpreted in the Sulam [Ladder commentary on The Zohar] that the dispute between Shammai and Hillel is the matter of the right line and the left line. Since the right line is incomplete by itself, since it does not contain Hochma, and the left line is also incomplete although it contains [Hochma], it still lacks Hassadim, which is the clothing on Hochma. Without this clothing, he is in the dark.
It follows that through the dispute, where each shows the other that there is no wholeness in it, and shows him the lack in the line of the other, it causes the two lines to merge with one another, meaning that both come into the middle line, called Zeir Anpin, which is the middle line in the Partzufim [pl. of Partzuf]. Zeir Anpin is called “for the sake of the Creator.” This shows that if there weren’t a dispute, each would remain in his line. Hence, the dispute was in order to achieve “for the sake of the Creator.”
Conversely, Korah and his congregation went by the left line and wanted to remain in the left line. That is, they wanted to stay in Hochma without Hassadim. They wanted the goal, which is to do good to His creations, without the clothing of Hassadim. This is the meaning of what our sages said, “Korah was clever.” That is, they wanted to remain on the left line, which is Hochma without Hassadim. It follows that the dispute of Korah and his congregation was not for the sake of the Creator, meaning in order to get to the middle line, called “for the sake of the Creator,” which is Hassadim.
Conversely, Moses certainly included the middle line, since Moses is called Daat, which is the middle line, as it is written in The Zohar, that Jacob is regarded as Tifferet, and Moses is regarded as Daat. Hence, Moses’ quality was for the sake of the Creator, which is why they did not say, “The dispute between Moses and Korah” is called “not for the sake of the Creator,” since the quality of Moses is certainly regarded for the sake of the Creator.
The matter of the right line and left line applies even during the work of preparation, meaning even before one is rewarded with entering the King’s palace, since in order to enter the King’s palace, one must be rewarded with the quality of Lishma [for Her sake], as it is written in Masechet Avot (Chapter Six): “Rabbi Meir says, ‘Anyone who engages in Torah Lishma is rewarded with many things… and the secrets of Torah are revealed to him,” and then it is considered that he enters the King’s palace.
There, in the secrets of Torah, begins the matter of right line, called Hesed, and left line, called Gevura. This is as it is written in Elijah Started: “Hesed is the right arm; Gevura is the left arm.” Only in the secrets of Torah are all these matters explained truthfully. But before one is rewarded with emerging from self-love and doing everything in order to bestow, called Lishma, although he learns all these matters as they are, they are only names without any clarification, meaning that he has no attainment in those things that he is learning, since he has no knowledge about the material of the upper roots, called “the holy names,” or Sefirot and Partzufim [pl. of Partzuf].
We can learn the upper matters, called “the wisdom of Kabbalah,” only by way of Segula [remedy/power], since they can bring a person desire and yearning to adhere to the Creator because of the Kedusha [holiness] of the matters that speak of the holy names. Conversely, in the revealed Torah, he must believe that the whole Torah is the names of the Creator. It follows that these matters are more capable (as explained in the essay, “The Giving of the Torah”).
When a person learns the upper matters in order for it to bring him closer to Kedusha, it causes a nearing of the lights. This means that this learning will cause him to thereby be rewarded with aiming all his actions in order to bestow. This is called “work in the manner of preparation,” where he prepares himself to be worthy of entering the King’s palace and to adhere to Him.
Here, too, in the work in the manner of [preparation], we learn the correction of lines, which extend by way of branch and root. “Right” is called Hesed [mercy/grace] and is regarded as covered Hassadim, which is the quality of “above reason,” and is discerned as “for he desires mercy,” when he does not need anything and he is happy with his lot, with what he has, and says that he suffices for whatever he was given from above as a gift—to have a grip on Torah and Mitzvot [commandments].
Although he sees that he observes Torah and Mitzvot only because of his upbringing, that he was brought up this way and that upbringing does not count if he was reared when he was little or when he was educated when he was older, it does not matter. Rather, any beginning of work starts with education. But this is still not regarded as “right line,” since there is right only when he has two lines. Then he is told that the first is called “right,” and the second is called “left.”
But afterward, when he scrutinizes and begins to work in his own right, and wants to know his purpose in life, when he yearns for something, he reflects on whether through this yearning, he will achieve some goal, and mainly, what is the purpose of creation. He sees that it is written everywhere that it is to do good to His creations, and he sees that he still does not feel any delight and pleasure, so he asks himself why he is not feeling the delight and pleasure of the purpose of creation. Yet, in relation to this, he sees a reason, that first one must achieve equivalence of form, and only then can we come to feel delight and pleasure.
In order to achieve bestowal, called equivalence of form, his work is done by scrutiny and examinations whether he is truly walking on the path of love of others. Otherwise, it is impossible to achieve Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator, called “Adhere to His attributes; as He is merciful, so you are merciful.”
If he sees that he is still in self-love and has not moved one bit from his lowly state, he sometimes falls into despair. Sometimes, not only does he not progress, he even feels that he has regressed. At such a time it is hard for him to observe Torah and Mitzvot with joy. Instead, he is sad all the time, and sometimes the world grows dark on him because the sadness brings him many thoughts and desires that truly contradict the goal he wants to achieve. That state is called “left line,” for something that requires correction is called “left.”
When one comes to the left line and sees his state, that he is completely empty, he must shift to the right line, for when he has the “left,” it is possible to speak of the “right,” and “right” means wholeness. Before one has “left,” it is regarded as merely a line because there cannot be “left” if there is no “right.” Hence, the first line, regarded as wholeness, now returns to this line, since here is the basis from which we build the whole building called “above reason,” since now he has a mind that sees his true state—that he has no grip on spirituality.
In other words, from the perspective of the intellect, he is in complete darkness, and now comes the time to go above reason and say “They have eyes but they will not see; they have ears but they will not hear.” However, he is delighted that he has been rewarded with observing the Mitzvot of the Creator, who commanded us through Moses. Although he does not feel any flavor or understanding about it, above reason, he still believes that it is a great privilege that he can observe the commandments of the Creator in a simple manner, while others do not even have this. He believes that everything comes from above, and others were given only the enjoyment from nonsense that is suitable for beasts and animals, while he was given a thought and desire to see that their whole lives are nonsense and vanity.
Therefore, he regards this present as a great fortune and he is always elated because of this importance. It is as important to him as though he was awarded the highest degrees. At that time, it is called “right line,” “wholeness,” since precisely by being happy, one has Dvekut with the Creator, as our sages said, “The Shechina is present only out of joy.” Since now he is in a state of wholeness, he has a reason for gladness.
Hence, even during the preparation, there is a place where he can receive illumination from above. Although this illumination cannot be permanent in him, even some connection with spirituality is a great profit because one cannot evaluate even the slightest contact with spirituality.
This right line is called “truth” because wholeness is built on the basis of truth. That is, he does not say that he has great possessions in Torah and Mitzvot, meaning feeling, attainment, and understanding. Rather, he says that whatever he has, whatever he is given from above, even if he feels that he is in a worse state than what he received by education, he still regards it above reason as having great importance to him that he has been rewarded with having some contact with spirituality.
When he works on this, on settling for little and being happy with this share, and he wants to honor Torah and Mitzvot as if he felt the flavor as true knowing and feeling, when the body, too, agrees to this work, which is called “even his enemies make peace with him,” but when he must work above reason, the body resists this work, this is called “true work.” In other words, he sees his true state, yet overcomes it as though he had knowledge. This is called “right line.”
All this is because he wants to glorify the Torah above reason. Although it seems as though he builds it on a structure of reason, when he says that many people have no connection to Torah and Mitzvot, so it makes sense that he already has something to be happy about because he has a possession that others do not have, this is true, but to say that this is something important and worth being happy about, he must have the quality of above reason. This is called “a joy of Mitzva [commandment],” meaning it is built on a basis of faith, and then he can sing and dance, and it is all true because it is above reason.
The left line, which extends from the root of Gevura, and Gevura means Hitgabrut [overcoming], since a person calculates how close he is to Kedusha, meaning how much energy he can put into love of others, to perform acts of bestowal without any return, for the sake of the friends, he can measure this by the amount to which he is willing to make concessions for the sake of the friends without wanting any return for this. Then, if he sees his true state—that he is still unfit for any concession—there is no other choice but prayer. This is considered that the left line brings him room for prayer.
It follows from the above that the right line brings him a place where he can praise and glorify for being given wholeness, and then there is no room for prayer because then he has no place of lack. Also, there is no room for Banim [sons], which are called Havana [understanding] in Torah and Mitzvot, since then he has no questions for which he needs answers, and then he has no multiplication in Torah.
Conversely, the left line, which is Gevura, when one must overcome, because we see that we must overcome but we haven’t the strength for this, then there is room for prayer, and there is also room for sons there because through the forces that come from above, which he extends through his prayer, it brings him multiplication in Torah.
However, we must know that these two lines must be equal, meaning used equally. At that time, it can be said that the third writing comes and decides between them, namely the middle line. The decision is that it integrates the two into one.
If one is greater than the other, they cannot be included in one another because the greater one does not want to be included in the other because it feels that its quality is more beneficial. Therefore, we must try to make them equal.
What is the benefit? When he has two lines, he must also see that they are equal so he will obtain the middle line. We must know that the middle line is called “the abundance that comes from above,” which is revealed on the two lines.
We can interpret this according to what our sages said, “There are three partners in man: his father, his mother, and the Creator. His father gives the whiteness, his mother gives the red, and the Creator gives the soul.” “Whiteness” means “white,” as it is written, “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” This means that then he always walks in a state of “white,” and this is called “right line,” when he sees no deficiency in his situation. Rather, he is always happy with his share. Even though he feels that he has no possession in his work, he is still happy.
We can understand this according to a story that is told, that once a princess became ill and no cure was found to her illness until a wise man came and said that he could heal her, but only through a Segula [power/remedy]: If she wore a white garment of a person who is happy with his share, she would be healed by this. What did the king do? He sent messengers to the wealthiest people in the nation, who asked them if they were happy with their shares. Then, each one let them know what they lacked. Afterward, he sent out to ask the middle class, perhaps there was one among them who was happy with his share, but he did not find one, until they had given up.
But finally, a man came and told the king that far away from here there is a forest, and he heard that in that the keeper of the forest is always happy with his share. Naturally, the king sent high ranking officials to the keeper. When the officials came to the keeper, he asked them, “I see that you are distinguished people; why have you come to me?” They told him about the whole matter of the king’s daughter. “This is why we came to you, and we would like to know if it is true what they say, that you are happy with your share.” Then, he told them, “Indeed, no doubt, I feel that there is nothing that I need in life and I enjoy everything.” “In that case,” they said, “Give us one of your shirts for the king’s daughter.” Then he replied to them, “Believe me, if I had a shirt, I would give it to the princess, but I have none.”
From this story we can see that if someone wants to be happy with his share, it must be unconditional. This is called “wholeness,” when you do not need anything in order to be able to say that because of this you can be happy with your share. This is called “right line,” when he does not need a thing, for if he needs something, anything at all, he can no longer be in wholeness.
“His mother gives the red,” as it is written, “Though your sins be as scarlet,” where there is a line of redness, for because he criticizes the good deeds he is doing, he sees that he cannot go forward. On the contrary, he is regressing. This is called “a line of redness,” when the body makes him think that it is impossible to walk when the line is red. At that time, his only hope is to increase his praying.
This is as it is introduced in Yalkut (in the Hagadah of Pe’ilim): “Israel said to the Creator, ‘When will You redeem us?’ The Creator replied, ‘When you go down to the lowest level, then I will redeem you.’”
It is precisely when one comes to a red line, when he feels that he is at the lowest degree, then comes redemption, since then the Creator gives the soul, and then the upper light shines on him, when he obtains help from above. It is as our sages said, “He who comes to purify is aided,” and The Zohar asks, “With what is he aided?” and it replies, “With a holy soul,” for then there is the third partner, the Creator, who gives the soul, and this is called the “middle line.”