What Is Man’s Private Possession?

Article No. 20, 1987

The Zohar (Korah, Item 4) interprets the verse, “And Korah took.” It asks, “What is ‘took’”? And it replies, he “took a bad advice for himself. Anyone who chases what is not his, it escapes him. Moreover, he loses even what he has. Korah chased what was not his; he lost what was his and did not win the other one.”

We should understand in terms of the work, what is the thing that we can say that it belongs to a person, that we can say that it is his, and what is the thing of which we want to say that it is not his. The Zohar says about Korah that he chased what was not his and lost what was his, as well. What do these words tell us in the work, so that a person will know how to keep himself from Korah’s punishment?

It is known that the primary innovation in creation is the will to receive, as it is written (The Study of the Ten Sefirot, Part 1, Histaklut Pnimit), “His desire is to do good to His creations, which is the connection between the Creator and the created beings. He has created a deficiency, meaning a desire and craving to yearn to receive delight and pleasure. Otherwise, it is impossible to enjoy anything.”

It is known that it is forbidden to speak of that which preceded creation. Instead, all that we speak of is by way of “By Your actions, we know You.” This means that we speak of that which exists in the creatures. Yet, why did the Creator make such a reality? He could have done it differently! Of this, we are forbidden to speak.

We see the nature that is in creation, that it is impossible to enjoy anything unless there is craving for it. Moreover, the craving for something determines the amount of pleasure that we can derive from the thing we crave.

For this reason, we attribute this Kli [vessel], called “will to receive delight and pleasure,” to the Kli that the Creator has made. We have no permission or ability to revoke this Kli, or to spoil that will to receive. Once that Kli has come out and received the abundance that the Creator wanted to give her, the Kli felt that the root is the giver and the Kli is the receiver, that there is no equivalence of form here. For this reason, the Kli desired to be a giver like her root. She placed a Tzimtzum [restriction] on the quality of reception in a manner that the Kli is a receiver and the Emanator is the giver. Instead, she said that she will not receive anything but only to the extent that she can receive in order to bestow.

We attribute that Kli, who receives only if it is in order to bestow, to the creature, since this is an opposite action from what the Creator has created. The Creator created the lower one to receive, as this is the purpose of creation, called “His desire to do good to His creations,” so the creatures will enjoy. But the lower one took the opposite action: It wants the Creator to enjoy. This is its gauge; it does not consider itself, its own pleasure, and in every act it calculates whether it should do this or not.

In other words, if it brings contentment to the Creator, it will do it. But if it does not see that it will bring contentment to the Creator, it avoids taking this action. This means that all the calculations it does prior to any operation are according to the ability to delight the Creator.

The abundance that spreads over this Kli, called “in order to bestow,” is called “the light of line.” It means that the light illuminates according to a line and a measure that the receiver can aim to bestow, which is equivalence of form. It does not regard its own pleasure because it wants Dvekut [adhesion]. Hence, it turns out that all the many worlds and Partzufim and Sefirot were made because of the receivers.

This means that while the light was illuminating in the Kli of the Creator, called “desire to receive in order to receive,” called Malchut, that Kli had the ability to receive the delight and pleasure that was in the thought of creation because certainly, to the extent of delight and pleasure that He wants to give, He has created the size of the Kli. Therefore, the Kli received all the light and there was only one, simple light there, as it is written in the book Tree of Life, that “Prior to the Tzimtzum, the upper, simple light filled the whole of reality.”

In other words, Malchut, called “will to receive,” received all the abundance that He wanted to give, since that Kli came from the Emanator. For this reason, He certainly made the Kli whole, so she could receive what He wanted to give. But afterwards, Malchut said that she did not want to receive with the Kli of the Creator, but that she had her own Kli, which she has made. But since the lower one, who is the created being, cannot make a Kli like the Creator, instantaneously, but rather, the lower one is limited in what it should do, hence, that Kli was made slowly-slowly, according to the ability to aim in order to bestow.

Many degrees emerge from this, meaning that the light shines according to the ability of the Kelim [vessels] of the lower ones. He interprets likewise (The Study of the Ten Sefirot, Part 1) what the Tree of Life says, that the light expanded slowly-slowly. He asks, “How can it be said, ‘slowly-slowly,’ in spirituality, since there is no time there, and ‘slowly-slowly’ implies time?” He explains there in Ohr Pnimi [Baal HaSulam’s interpretation to the text of the ARI] that slowly-slowly means that the light does not expand at once, but by degrees, to the extent that the lower ones can receive in order to bestow. This is regarded as “slowly-slowly.”

It therefore follows that we have two Kelim: 1) The Kli that we attribute to the Creator. This is the Kli called “will to receive in order to receive.” That Kli emerged in whole because from the perspective of the Creator, she has wholeness. 2) The Kli we attribute to the creature, namely the desire to bestow. That Kli is established slowly-slowly because the lower ones cannot make that Kli at once.

We should know that all of our work is based on a single point, meaning that the Torah and Mitzvot [commandments/good deeds] that we are commanded to observe are in order to obtain the Kli that we should make. We can make that Kli only through Torah and Mitzvot, as Rabbi Hananiah Ben Akashia says, “The Creator wanted to refine Israel, therefore He gave them plentiful Torah and Mitzvot, as was said, ‘The Lord desired for His righteousness; He will increase the Torah and glorify.’” It is also written in the essay “Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah,” And it is known that refinement comes from the word Hizdakchut [becoming refined]. It is as our sages said, that the Mitzvot were given only so as to cleanse Israel.”

It follows that we only need to make the Kli, called “vessel of bestowal.” We lack nothing else. It is as it is written, “And I will bless you in all that you do.” That is, “doing” refers to the Kli. If we make the Kli, the Creator will fill it with blessing, meaning abundance, called “His desire to do good to His creations.”

The vessel of bestowal is prepared for us in both mind and heart, since the Creator has given us a Kli to receive. For this reason, we have a yearning to understand everything with our intellect, since that desire has given us the yearning to gain knowledge. This causes us to want to understand the Torah and Mitzvot. However, at the same time, we have a yearning to understand Providence, meaning that man contemplates how the Creator behaves with him in a manner of guidance of good and doing good.

Here we need to believe above reason. Since a desire to understand and learn was installed in the body, it is clear that a desire to understand the ways of the Creator has awakened in him. However, that desire to understand and to learn was said about the Torah, not about Providence. In other words, with this desire, with this force, we must understand everything only with regard to the Torah, and not with regard to Providence.

Baal HaSulam once explained what we say in the blessing, “Who has formed the man and created in him holes-holes, hollows-hollows. It is revealed and known before Your throne that should one of them open, or one of them become blocked, it will be impossible to exist and stand before You.” He said that the difference between “holes” and “hollows” is that a hole should be blocked, but a hollow should remain hollow.

Interpretation: There are “law” and “justice.” “Law” means that we should accept the matter as a law above reason. This is faith, and acceptance of faith should be above reason. It follows that lack of knowledge, understanding, and the intellect of something keeps it as a hollow, without knowledge. Each time, one must be careful not to fill up this hollow.

In the blessing, “who has created,” we say, “[should] one of them become blocked, it will be impossible to exist.” However, a hollow, meaning a place of lack of knowledge, must not be filled. Rather, we should always go above reason. This is called “mind,” in order to bestow.

This is not so with justice, which is the Torah. Here, specifically, is the place where one should try to do what he can in order to understand the Torah. The Torah is called “the names of the Creator,” and it is upon us to understand and attain. And here, in the Torah, the lack that is called “hole” should be blocked, meaning there should be no lack, and the more the better.

For this reason, we say, “should one of them be opened … it will be impossible to exist.” That is, “should one of them be opened” means that the hole will be opened, that there will be a hole and a lack in understanding the Torah. In such a state, a person has no existence or establishment, and instead, he should immediately see to filling that lack with the light of Torah, since the light of Torah reforms him. This is the Kli that is suitable to receive the upper abundance. Afterward, the light that is clothed in the Torah comes to him, called “613 deposits,” as it is written in the “Introduction of The Book of Zohar.”

However, normally, it is to the contrary. That is, the burden of the kingdom of heaven, which we should accept above reason, specifically here everyone wants to understand the Creator’s Providence over people within reason. But with regard to the Torah, here they agree to go above reason and do not place sufficient attention to understanding.

It is written in The Zohar (Hukat, Item 2): “This is the statute of the Torah.” It is also written, “This is the Torah,” and it is not written, “statute.” “This is the Torah” is to show that everything is in one unification, to include the assembly of Israel, which is Malchut, with the Creator, who is ZA, so that all will be one, without separation. “This” is general and particular together, meaning male and female together, since Vav is male, meaning ZA, which is the general. “This” is Nukva [female], meaning Malchut, who is particular. But “this” without an addition of Vav [in Hebrew] is the statute of the Torah. Of course, she is Malchut, called “statute,” and she comes from ZA, who is called “Torah.” She is only the judgment of the Torah, the decree of the Torah, which is Malchut.

We should understand the meaning of ZA being called “Torah” and “general,” and “male” and Vav, while Malchut is called “the judgment of the Torah,” “the decree of the Torah,” “particular,” Nukva, and the “assembly of Israel.”

According to the above, we can interpret that the Creator is called ZA, as the ARI says, that the guidance of the world is in the form of ZA and Malchut, where ZA is called “general,” meaning that everything extends from him. However, the one who receives from him, always takes only parts. That is, each time a part of the general appears in the parts. From that perspective, Malchut is called the “assembly of Israel,” assembling within her parts of Israel, who is called ZA. This is with regard to Malchut being the receiver of abundance from ZA.

However, there is another interpretation. Malchut is called the “assembly of Israel” because she contains all the souls. From that perspective, we should interpret that Malchut takes abundance from ZA and bestows upon the souls of Israel. However, we should discern between the bestowal of ZA, called “Torah,” and the bestowal of Malchut, called “the judgment of Torah” or “the decree of Torah,” which is called “statute.”

It is known that Malchut is called “faith,” meaning that the kingdom of heaven should be accepted as a law above reason, for such is the decree of Torah, to accept the faith above reason. This is the meaning of her being regarded as “mind.” Also, in the “heart,” there should also be above reason and not consider what the body explains to us about what we should do and what we should not. Instead, everything must be above reason.

But the Torah is regarded as “general,” meaning that everything extends from it. It means that doing good to His creations, which is the delight and pleasure, is included in His bestowal, and the strength to take upon himself the above reason is also included in the giver. That is, ZA, who is called “the Creator,” must give that force so that the lower one will have the strength to overcome its reason and go above reason.

This force is called “light,” and any light comes from the upper one. Only the Kli pertains to the lower one. A Kli means a lack, and a lack pertains to the lower ones. That is, if the lower one feels that he is lacking that force, meaning that he wants to go above reason but he cannot, this is called “a Kli.” It was said about this, “There is no light without a Kli,” as it is known that “There is no filling without a lack.”

In that respect, we can call ZA by the name “general,” since he includes everything. That is, he gives both the faith above reason and the Torah, called the “names of the Creator.” We already said that the “names of the Creator” refers to the delight and pleasure revealed through the Torah, as the general name of the Creator is The Good Who Does Good. It is explained in the Torah how within each and every letter in the Torah, a special light is revealed. This discernment is called “the Torah, and Israel, and the Creator are one.”

Accordingly, we understand that when he refers to ZA by the name “Torah,” it is with respect to the names of the Creator. This is called “written Torah,” where there is nothing to add or to subtract, since there is no attainment whatsoever in the giver, called “the Creator.”

For this reason, there is nothing to add or to subtract, but rather everything that there is in the giver is revealed in the receiver. That is, what exists in the giver manifests in the receiver.

Yet, not everything that is in the giver is revealed in the receiver. Instead, each time, another detail is revealed in the receiver. For this reason, Malchut, which is the receiving Kli, is called “particular,” and ZA is called “general.” For this reason, Malchut is called “oral Torah,” where “oral” means disclosure, for it discloses what is in the written Torah, called ZA.

However, Malchut is called the “judgment of Torah,” which means that each discernment of the Torah that appears in Malchut is according to the judgment concerning what is permitted to be revealed. In other words, since Malchut is called the “receiver,” and there was a judgment over the vessels of reception that it is forbidden to receive except to the extent that it is possible to aim to bestow, for this reason there are ups and downs in Malchut.

She is called “statute” because with regard to faith, she is a law without knowledge. If we ask ourselves, why should faith be a law? the answer is that such was His decree, that we should serve Him above reason, and this is why it is a law.

From that perspective, Malchut is called the “decree of the Torah,” meaning that the Torah decreed that such would be the order of the work on work above reason. It is as RASHI says about the verse, “This is the statute of the Torah”: “Since Satan and the nations of the world cause Israel to say, ‘What is this Mitzva [commandment] and what is its purpose?’ This is why it is written about it, ‘statute,’ ‘It is a decree before Me,’ and you have no permission to doubt it.”

This is why we should not ask why the Creator wants us to serve Him above reason in regard to this, as well. That is, on this question, too, comes the answer that it is above reason, since common sense dictates that if our work is within reason, meaning that the body understood the ways of the Creator’s guidance with the creatures, there would be no room for heretics and secular people to turn away from Kedusha. Rather, everyone would be servants of the Creator. It was said about this (Isaiah 55): “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not My ways,’ says the Lord.”

This is why The Zohar writes “and this” with a Vav [in Hebrew]. It is to show that everything is in one unification, and to include the assembly of Israel, who is Malchut, in the Creator, who is ZA. We should interpret that unification is equivalence of form. For this reason, when the lower ones engage in Torah and Mitzvot with the aim to bestow, by this they cause, each in the root of his soul, which is Malchut, that it will be in order to bestow like ZA, who is called “male,” meaning a giver.

This means that including the assembly of Israel, which is Malchut, in the Creator, who is ZA, by this appears all that there is in the general, which is ZA, the giver, in the Malchut, who is the receiving Nukva. Through the unification, each time, a new detail emerges in Malchut. This is why Malchut is called “particular.”

According to the above, we should understand what we asked, What is private property, of which we can say that it belongs to the individual alone? According to what we explained, a person has in his world only the Kelim that he has made, called “vessels of bestowal.” This is all that belongs to a person. But what enters the Kelim of reception does not pertain to man because that Kli, the Creator has made it.

For this reason, anything that enters these vessels does not belong to man as well, and all that a person has is what he placed in vessels of bestowal. For this reason, when Korah wanted to receive in Kelim that were not his, meaning in vessels of reception, he lost his Kelim, as well, which he had from the desire to bestow.

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