I heard in 1945, Jerusalem
The verse says (Psalms 104): “There is the sea, great and broad, in which are swarms without number, small animals with big ones.”
We should interpret:
1. “There is the sea” means the sea of the Sitra Achra [other side].
2. “Great and broad” means that it manifests itself and shouts “Give! Give!” referring to big vessels of reception.
3. “In which are swarms” means that there are upper lights there, which one steps and tramples with one’s feet.
4. “Without number,” that there are small with large animals, meaning whether one has small vitality or big vitality, it is all in that sea.
This is so because there is a rule that “From above they give giving, and take, they do not take” (as all that is given from above is not received in return, but stays below). Hence, if one extends something from above and then blemishes it, it remains below, but not with the person. Instead, it falls to the sea of the Sitra Achra.
In other words, if one draws some illumination and cannot sustain it permanently because his Kelim [vessels] are not yet clean so as to be fit for the light, meaning that he will receive it in vessels of bestowal like the light that comes from the Giver, the illumination must depart from him.
At that time, this illumination falls into the hands of the Sitra Achra. This continues several times, meaning that one extends, and then it departs from him.
Hence, the illuminations multiply in the sea of the Sitra Achra until the quota is full. This means that after one reveals the full measure of the effort that one can reveal, the Sitra Achra gives him back everything she took into her own authority. This is the meaning of “He has swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again.” It follows that all that the Sitra Achra received into her own authority was only as a deposit, meaning that as long as she has control over man, and the matter of the control that she has is so that one will be able to scrutinize one’s vessels of reception and admit them into Kedusha [holiness].
In other words, had she not controlled a person, he would settle for little. Then all of one’s vessels of reception would remain separated, and he would never be able to gather all the Kelim that belong to the root of his soul, admit them into Kedusha, and extend the light that belongs to him.
Hence, it is a correction that each time one extends something and has a descent, he must start anew, meaning new scrutinies. And what one had from the past has fallen into the Sitra Achra, who holds it in her authority as a deposit. Afterward, one receives from her everything that she received from him the whole time.
Yet, we must also know that if one could sustain any illumination, even a small one, but if it were permanent, he would already be regarded as whole. That is, one would have been able to advance with this illumination. Hence, if one loses the illumination, he should regret it.
This is similar to a person who placed a seed in the ground so that a big tree would grow out of it, but took the seed out of the ground right away. Thus, what is the benefit in the work of putting the seed in the ground?
Moreover, we can say that he not only took out the seed from the ground and spoiled it; we can say that he dug out a tree with ripe fruits from the ground and spoiled them.
It is the same here: If he had not lost this tiny illumination, a great light would have grown out of it. It follows that it is not necessarily that he lost the power of a small illumination, but it is as though a great light indeed was lost from him.
We must know that it is a rule that one cannot live without vitality and pleasure, since it stems from the root of creation, which is His desire to do good to His creations. Hence, every creature cannot exist without vitality and pleasure. Therefore, every creature must go and look for a place from which to receive delight and pleasure.
But the pleasure is received in three times: in the past, in the present, and in the future. However, the main reception of pleasure is in the present. Although we see that one receives pleasure from the past and from the future, too, it is because the past and the future shine in the present.
Therefore, if one does not find a sensation of pleasure in the present, he receives vitality from the past, and he can tell others how he was happy in past times. One can receive vitality from this in the present, or picture to himself that he hopes that in the future he will be happy. But measuring the sensation of the pleasure from the past and the future depends on the extent to which they shine for him in the present. We must know that this applies both to corporeal pleasures and to spiritual pleasures.
As we see, when a person works, even in corporeality, the order is that during the work he is unhappy because he is exerting himself. And one can continue the work only because the future shines for him, that he will receive a payment for his work. This shines for him in the present, and this is why he can continue the work.
However, if he is unable to picture the reward he will receive in the future, he must take pleasure from the future, not from the reward he will receive for his work in the future. In other words, he will not enjoy the reward, but he will not feel suffering from the exertion. This is what he enjoys now, in the present, what he will have in the future.
The future shines for him in the present, in that soon the work will be over, meaning the time that he must work, and he will receive rest. Thus, the pleasure of rest that one will ultimately receive still shines for him. In other words, his profit will be that he will not be afflicted by what he now feels from the work, and this gives him the strength to be able to work now.
If one is unable to picture to himself that soon he will be rid of the torments that he suffers now, he will come to despair and sadness to the point that that state can bring one to take his own life.
This is why our sages said, “One who takes one’s life has no part in the next world,” since he denies Providence, that the Creator leads the world in a form of good and doing good. Instead, one should believe that these states come to him because from above they want it to bring him correction, meaning that he will collect Reshimot [recollections] from these states so he will be able to understand the conduct of the world more intensely and more strongly.
These states are called Achoraim [posterior]. When one overcomes these states, he will be awarded the quality of Panim [anterior], meaning that the light will shine into these Achoraim.
There is a rule that one cannot live if one has no place from which to receive delight and pleasure. Thus, when one is unable to receive from the present, he must still receive vitality from the past or from the future. In other words, the body seeks for itself vitality in every means at its disposal.
Then, if one does not agree to receive vitality from corporeal things, the body has no choice but to agree to receive vitality from spiritual things because it has no other choice.
Hence, it must agree to receive delight and pleasure from vessels of bestowal, since it is impossible to live without vitality. It follows that when one is accustomed to observe Torah and Mitzvot [commandments] Lo Lishma [not for Her sake], meaning to receive reward for his work, he can picture to himself that he will receive some reward later on, and he can already work on the calculation that he will receive delight and pleasure later.
However, if one works not in order to receive reward, but wants to work without any reward, how can he picture to himself having anything from which to receive sustenance? After all, he cannot create any picture because he has nothing on which to do it.
Hence, in Lo Lishma, there is no necessity to give one vitality from above, since he has vitality from the depiction of the future, and only necessity is given from above, not luxury. Therefore, if one wants to work only for the Creator and has no wish whatsoever to take vitality for other things, there is no other way, but to be given vitality from above, since he demands only the necessary vitality to go on living. Then he receives vitality from the structure of the Shechina [Divinity].
It is as our sages said, “Anyone who is sorry for the public is rewarded with seeing the comfort of the public.” The public is called “The Shechina,” since “public” means a collective, meaning the assembly of Israel, for Malchut is the collection of all the souls.
Since the person does not want any reward for himself, but wants to work for the sake of the Creator, which is called “raising the Shechina from the dust,” so she will not be so degraded, meaning that they do not want to work for the sake of the Creator, but all that one sees that will produce benefit for himself, then there is fuel for the work. And what concerns the benefit of the Creator, and one does not see what reward he will receive in return, the body objects to this work because it feels a taste of dust in this work.
And such a person does want to work for the sake of the Creator, but the body resists it. And he asks the Creator to give him strength to nonetheless be able to work to raise the Shechina from the dust. Hence, he is awarded the Panim [face] of the Creator, Who appears to him, and the concealment departs from him.