913. His Law He Contemplates

February 9, 1966

“His desire is in the Torah [law] of the Lord, and His Torah law he contemplates,” etc. Our sages interpreted that one is before he learns, and one is after he learns. We should ask why it is written “His desire” with regard to the Torah of the Creator.

To understand the matter in ethics, we should observe what appears to our eyes when looking at youths who attend Jewish orthodox seminaries and study day and night. What is the reason that compels them to learn Torah?

We find many reasons:

1) When he first begins to learn, the reason is that his father forces him into all the labor of engaging in Torah and Mitzvot [commandments]. If he disobeys him, he will punish him, so he is the obligator. Thus, at that time, he is not engaging in Torah and Mitzvot for the sake of the Creator, but for the sake of his father.

2) When he grows up and becomes accustomed to attending school, the teacher or the rabbi or the overseer forces him. If he disobeys them, they will punish him.

3) When he becomes a grownup, he begins to contemplate his future and sees that if he does not become a learned scholar, it will be difficult for him to find a good wife or obtain an influential position in society, and be given the respect that Torah scholars receive. Here, too, the reasons that compel him to engage in Torah and Mitzvot are only people like himself.

It therefore follows that he is not learning the Torah of the Creator but the Torah of the created beings. That is, it can be said about this that even if there weren’t this Torah that he is learning, the Torah of the Creator, he would still have to observe it because these elements would force him to observe or they would punish him.

However, from Lo Lishma [not for Her sake], we come to Lishma [for Her sake]. Therefore, if he is smart and contemplates what he is doing here in our world, he begins to believe that the capitol has a leader, and then he believes that the Torah that he is learning is the Torah of the Creator, and then he can observe “His desire is in the Torah [law] of the Lord,” meaning the Torah of the Creator and not the Torah of the created beings.

At that time, he observes the Torah as a Mitzva [commandment] and not as Torah. Mitzva means faith, and Torah is regarded as a gift. Mitzva that is faith is regarded as Tzedakah [charity/righteousness], as it is written, “And he believed in the Lord and He regarded it for him as righteousness.”

The reason that faith is called Tzedakah is that normally, we see that when a person does something that he does not enjoy doing, he cannot do it except for a reward such as respect or money.

If he does something for which he does not receive reward, it is called Tzedakah because he is not rewarded for it. Hence, since faith pertains specifically to a time of concealment, at which time he derives no pleasure from this action, for this reason, faith is called Tzedakah. This is not so with a gift, for then he enjoys the act itself, meaning he enjoys the gift he is receiving. If he does not enjoy the gift, it is not regarded as a gift.

Since the Torah is called “a gift,” as it is written, “And from Matanah [Hebrew: gift] to Nahliel,” we should know that precisely when he enjoys the Torah, the Torah is called “a gift.” If he has still not been rewarded with tasting a sweet flavor in the Torah, meaning that the verse, “nicer than gold and much fine gold, and sweeter than honey and the honeycomb” has not come true in him, it cannot be said that to him the Torah is a gift. Rather, when he engages in Torah, he awaits being paid for his labor in Torah. It follows that then the Torah is regarded as a Mitzva. In other words, if he engages in Torah not in order to receive reward, it is regarded for him as Tzedakah, meaning that he is learning only as a Mitzva, which is called “faith.”

We see that concerning giving a gift, for the joy to be complete from the perspective of both the giver and the receiver, this depends on two things: 1) The giver should appreciate the receiver, that he is worthy of such a great gift. If the receiver is an important person, he gives him an important, valuable gift. If he is not very important to him, he will not spend so much of his money to buy him a gift. 2) The receiver can be happy about the gift only to the extent of the need for it, regardless of the cost of the gift.

We see that with Bar Mitzvah boys [age thirteen], the custom is that everyone gives them gifts. But sometimes, we see that if they do not need this object very much, not only does it not please them, it even evokes unpleasantness in them to accept the gift. This is so only because he does not need the gift.

For example, if an uncle gives him a gold watch that is worth a hundred pounds, he will surely be happy with the watch, since it costs a lot of money and normally the gifts are worth five or ten or twenty pounds. Therefore, if he gives him a present that is worth a hundred pounds, he will certainly be very happy.

But then, another uncle comes and also gives him a watch that is worth a hundred pounds. Now he is not so happy, since what will he do with two watches? It is inappropriate to sell one of the watches because it is not nice to sell a gift that a friend gave him, since it is a reminder to always keep in mind that he has a friend, and he did not give it to him so he would sell it. Thus, he feels unpleasantness. However, it is still not so bad because he can wear one watch on his right hand and the other on his left.

However, if another uncle also gives him a watch, then he really feels annoyed because he does not know what to do with the third watch. Nevertheless, he finds a solution by wearing it on Shabbat [Sabbath].

But if a fourth uncle also gives him a watch then he really becomes confused and does not know what to do. After all, it is worth a hundred pounds and he could enjoy something that is worth a hundred pounds, but now he cannot.

Thus, he is so annoyed and does not know what to do that he becomes caught up in thoughts to the point that he forgets that he is sitting at a party with distinguished guests who came to honor him and partake in his joy. But he is no longer sitting with them but is tormented and afflicted, and all this is because he has no need for the gifts he has received.

We therefore see that it is impossible to be happy with a gift if he has no need for it, even if it is valuable.

Here we see that we have two things: 1) From the perspective of the giver, a precious gift to the synagogue, the gift is not worth a hundred pounds but much more because he knows the value of the audience, that they must be given an expensive gift. 2) Although in regard to the recipients of the gift, there is a need for a book of Torah, for we cannot say that there are enough books of Torah, for each book of Torah in the synagogue adds sanctity and instills Divine spirit, adding might and glory to the intention and protects from bad things and gives life and peace and wealth and honor.

“‘Fortune and wealth are in his home and his righteousness stands forever.’ Rav Huna and Rav Hasda, one said, ‘It is he who learns Torah and teaches it.’ The other said, ‘It is he who writes a Bible and lends it to others’” (Ketubot 50).

Here we see that we have arranged both things: the seminary, which is learning Torah and teaching it, and now also the admission of a book of Torah, called “writing a Bible and lending it to others.” However, he does not lend, but gives it to the residents of the neighborhood, so the words “Fortune and wealth are in his home and his righteousness stands forever” will certainly come true for him.

We should ask, 1) What is the added merit of “fortune and wealth” to “his righteousness stands forever,” since it would be enough for a person to be given fortune and wealth for his labor. Why does he need his righteousness, and what will he gain by his righteousness standing forever? 2) What is the dispute between Rav Huna and Rav Hasda?

It is known that the work is to achieve the completion of the goal for which man was created, which is called “to do good to His creations.” In other words, a person should receive all the sublime pleasures.

In order to be able to achieve this goal, there must first be the correction of creation, called Lishma [for Her sake]. This means that all the pleasures that one contemplates receiving are only because the Creator wants it, and this will correct the flaw of the bread of shame. Hence, precisely when a person corrects himself so his intention is only to bestow for the sake of the Creator, everything will come to the end of correction.

In order for one to achieve Lishma, which is not in order to receive reward, we were given the work of faith, for then there is the matter of choice. In other words, even though he does not see or feel any pleasure in the work, he still works because of a Mitzva.

Conversely, if he felt the flavor of Torah and Mitzvot, there would be no room for him to work without reward since no reward is greater than feeling a good taste and elation in his work.

Only when the basis of one’s work is faith is there choice, and then it can be said that he is working Lishma, meaning because of the commandment of the Creator. While his work is Lishma, the words of Rabbi Meir, that “he is rewarded with many things,” come true in him.

At that time, he must renew his work so it is in the manner of faith, which the Sulam [Ladder commentary on The Zohar] calls “middle line,” for only by this he will be saved from falling into self-pleasure due to the many pleasures he will be receiving by revealing the secrets of Torah with which he has been rewarded by learning Lishma.

It is known that faith is called Tzedakah [righteousness/charity], and the knowledge of Torah is called “wealth,” as our sages said, “There is none who is poor except in knowledge.” By this we will understand the words, “Fortune and wealth are in his home and his righteousness stands forever,” meaning that one who has been rewarded with fortune and wealth, which is the knowledge of Torah, in order for them to exist in him, he needs faith, which is called Tzedakah.

Hence, in order for his wisdom to exist he must always try to renew the faith, and for this he needs the blessing that his righteousness, meaning faith, will stand forever, that he will always have the faith so that the wealth will be maintained.

I will conclude my letter with what I said this morning to the students. It is written in the Megillah [Purim scroll/Book of Ester], “After these things, the king promoted Haman.” In the literal meaning, this is difficult to understand, since after the good deed that Mordechai did for the king, the king should have promoted Mordechai and not Haman.

We should interpret this in ethics: After a person does something through his engagement in Torah and Mitzvot [commandments], the Creator increases the evil in a person, which is called “Haman.” That is, the Creator shows the person the truth that the evil within him obstructs him from receiving all the spiritual pleasures.

If the person had gone in the good path, meaning if his intention were only to bestow contentment upon his Maker, he should have been worthy of all the sublime things. This is called “the way of Judaism.”

When one cannot see the true face of one’s evil, meaning the form of Haman, he cannot pray to the Creator to help him be saved from the bad.

Only when one sees the greatness of Haman, that he wants to kill and destroy all the Jews, etc., meaning that Haman wants to destroy everything that has any relation to Judaism, that he does not let him do anything in Kedusha [holiness], then he can make an honest prayer, and then the words “the Creator helps him” come true. Hence, then the words “fasting and crying out” become pertinent, when they are praying to the Creator to be saved from this evil Haman.

When the Creator helps him, the Creator asks Haman, “What should be done with the man whom the king wishes to honor?” At that time, Haman thinks, “Whom does the king wish to honor more than me?” meaning that all the bad extends from the will to receive (as it is written in the introduction to the Sulam [Ladder] commentary to The Zohar), which is the Haman in a person, who claims that the Creator’s wish is to do good to His creations, meaning that all the pleasures belong to the will to receive.

But the Creator said, “Do so to Mordechai the Jew.” If He asked the good inclination, called “Mordechai the Jew,” if he wanted anything, he would answer that all he wants is to bestow upon the Creator and he does not need anything. For this reason, He asked Haman, who wants to receive all the pleasures that exist in reality, and then the Creator said that all the pleasures should be given to Mordechai, meaning that the person will receive all the pleasures only in order to bestow contentment upon his Maker.

This, Baal HaSulam said, is “lights of Haman in vessels of Mordechai.” This means that all the pleasures should be received only with the intention for the sake of the Creator.