The transcript has been transcribed and edited from English simultaneous interpretation, thus there may be potential semantic inaccuracies within it.

Daily Lesson (Morning), July 2, 2024.

Part 2: Rabash, Letter 56

Reader: We are reading letter 56 by the Rabash, the letter is on the Arvut system. We are reading letter 56.

Reading Letter 56: (00:18)

To …

Because I am moving about, the letters do not reach me by order. Only last week I received the first letters from Israel. I already wrote four letters to Jerusalem, to those who wrote me, and they are…

And regarding the words that you want to elaborate on, I am repeating the entire excerpt: Our sages said, “Rabbah bar Rav Huna said, ‘Any person in whom there is Torah, but no fear of heaven is like a treasurer who was given the inner keys but was not given the outer keys; how will he enter?’” RASHI interpreted that fear of heaven is like the outer doors through which to enter the inner ones. Thus, if he is fearing heaven, he becomes anxious to keep and to do. If not, he does not fear for his Torah. “Rabbi Yanai declares, ‘“Woe unto he who has no house but built a gate for the house’” (Shabbat, 31).

We should ask:

Rabbah bar Rav Huna likens fear of heaven to externality, and Torah to internality when he says, “But was not given the outer keys; how will he enter?” That is, if he has no fear of heaven, how will he enter the internality? Rav Yanai likens the fear of heaven to internality, for he said that fear of heaven is like a house, and the Torah only to a gate, and a gate is externality. It follows that he thinks that the Torah is externality.

What did Rav Yanai add to Rabbah bar Rav Huna, and said, “Woe,” and gave the example of Rabbi Yanai.

It is known that the purpose of creation is to do good to His creations. In order to be able to receive the good that has been prepared for us, we need qualification, which is equivalence of form. This means that our intention should be only to bestow and not receive for ourselves. After we are rewarded with the light clothed in the inner Torah (when we attain the hidden light clothed in the inner Torah, it is called “the Torah and Israel and the Creator are one”). Our sages said about this, “There is no good but the Torah,” of which it was said, “Who are nicer than gold,” etc., meaning that the sweet tasting light of life is clothed in the inner Torah.

It is known that “A man is born the foal of a wild ass,” for “the inclination of a man’s heart is evil from his youth,” and as our sages said, “I wish they had left Me and kept My Torah [law], since the light in it reforms him” (Jerusalem (Talmud), Hagiga).

I have already interpreted this article for it is difficult to understand the connection between leaving the Creator and keeping the Torah. How can there be Torah without the Creator, of which it was said, “left Me”? The answer is written next to it: “because the light in it reforms him.”

This means that when a person wants to bring himself closer to the Creator, the Creator tells him that as long as he is immersed in evil lusts, the Creator cannot bring him closer, for then a person is still in the quality of falsehood, and the verse, “He who speaks falsehood will not be established before My eyes.” When a person is proud, the Creator says, “He and I cannot dwell in the same abode,” and so forth.

Rather, by keeping the Torah, whose light reforms him, he will come out from the evil qualities, called “reception,” and will be able to engage in bestowal, which is the meaning of reforming him, as it is written, “My heart overflows with a good thing; I say, ‘My work is for the King’” (Psalms 45).

In other words, everything he does is only in order to bestow upon the king, and only afterwards does the Creator bring him closer. That person is rewarded with permanent faith (as it is written in the Sulam [Ladder commentary], in the “Introduction of the Book of Zohar”).

Therefore, for a person to obtain fear of heaven and the ability to do good deeds, he has no other choice—as explained in the words of the Jerusalem [Talmud]—but to “keep My Torah [law].” That is, through the Torah, whose light reforms him. Then, when he has been reformed, meaning when he has obtained fear of heaven through the Torah, he will be rewarded with the inner Torah, meaning the light of Torah that is clothed in the outer Torah.

It is as our sages said, “In the light that was created on the first day, Adam saw from the end of the world to its end. The Creator looked at the works of the generation of the flood and the generation of Babylon and saw that their works were flawed. He stood and concealed it. Where did He conceal it? In the Torah.

By that we can interpret the words of Rabbah bar Rav Huna, who likens the fear of heaven to the outer keys, and the Torah to inner ones. He is referring to a person who wishes to be rewarded with the internality of the Torah, where all the life and good, and pleasure is found. Before he tries to acquire fear of heaven, he lacks the proper qualification to be fit for reception of the hidden light, as it is written, “And will deny the wicked their light” (see the beginning of Mesilat Yesharim [Path of the Upright]). But before a person has corrected his bad deeds and has acquired fear of heaven he is unfit to receive the good.

It turns out that fear of heaven is called “externality,” meaning that through fear of heaven he will be able to receive the inner Torah. This is why in his view, one who wishes to receive the internality of the Torah before he has fear of heaven, it is as though he has the inner keys but was not given the outer keys; how will he enter? Since he does not have fear of heaven, he is unfit to receive the delight and pleasure.

This is what Rabbi Yanai was excited about and declared, “Woe unto he who has no house but built a gate for the house.” That is, the words of Rabbah bar Rav Huna mean that one who wishes to be awarded the internality of the Torah must first acquire fear of heaven, which is external to the internality of the Torah.

It follows that the main thing that one needs to acquire is fear of heaven, for then the fear of heaven will be like a room where you can place objects and fine-looking furniture and precious artifacts. But if he has no room in which to put things, he cannot be given anything. For Rabbi Yanai, the fear of heaven will be the house where he puts the internality of the Torah.

Therefore, he saw that the main thing on which one needs to exert in the world is fear of heaven, that this is the receptacle for the upper pleasures, and saw that people are learning Torah their whole lives but their intention is not to acquire fear of heaven through it, since the study of Torah should be as the above mentioned Jerusalem way, in the words, “I wish they left Me and kept My Torah, for the light in it reforms him,” meaning that through the Torah they will be awarded being good.

That is, through the light in the Torah—even if he is still learning Lo Lishma (not for Her sake), since he was still not rewarded with fear of heaven, so how can he study Lishma before he has been rewarded with faith, which is fear of heaven? But through the light in the Torah that is Lo Lishma—he is later rewarded with the fear of heaven. This is considered that it “reforms him.”

It follows that the Torah Lo Lishma is the gate through which to enter fear of heaven, called “house” (a receptacle for the good in the internality of the Torah). This is why he adds to the words of Rabbah bar Rav Huna and says, “Woe unto one who has no house,” meaning who still has no fear of heaven, “but built a gate for the house,” since normally, one who contemplates building a house can build a door for the house that he will have. But if he is not contemplating building a house, why would he make for himself a door?

This is why Rav Yanai declares, “When a person is concerned with fear of heaven, which is a house, it is worthwhile for him to learn Torah, since the Torah will bring him the light, and through the light he will be rewarded with fear of heaven, called a “house,” in which to place the internality of the Torah.

But if he is not concerned with being rewarded with fear of heaven because he has no need for fear of heaven, why should he trouble himself with spending his life in Torah, for it is only a door to enter the house called “fear of heaven”?

If he does not intend to acquire fear of heaven, it turns out that he is troubling himself for nothing, pointlessly, since the whole point of Torah that in Lo Lishma is that it is only a door through which to enter fear of heaven. Then, when one has fear of heaven, it can be said that he is learning Torah Lishma. But when he has no fear of heaven, when he has no faith, the question is for whom he is learning.

But when a person wants to acquire fear of heaven and the evil within him does not give him the strength to be able to believe in the Creator, our sages advise us that from Lo Lishma he will come to Lishma. That is, he will be rewarded with fear of heaven and faith in the Creator, and he will know for whom he is learning. This is called a “house.”

One who learns Torah Lishma, meaning that he has fear of heaven, is awarded many things. As Rabbi Meir said (Avot), he becomes as a flowing fountain and the secrets of Torah are revealed to him, for the secrets of Torah are the delight and pleasure, and it is the purpose of creation that he will receive delight and pleasure.

It follows from all the above that a door is called Torah Lo Lishma, which means he still hasn’t fear of heaven. A house is called “fear of heaven,” since once he has received the light of Torah, which is in Lo Lishma, he is rewarded with Lishma, meaning with faith in the Creator, and then he will do everything for the Creator. Subsequently, he is rewarded with the inner Torah, which is the delight and pleasure, called “secrets of Torah,” as it is written in the Mishnah, Avot.

I think that I have clarified this thoroughly, and if you have any comments on this, write me and I will know what to correct.

I began the letter but only today (May 31) I finished it. This week I received your letter from the 23rd of May; I am grateful for the details you wrote me, do continue.

Baruch Shalom HaLevi Ashlag

Son of Baal HaSulam

M. Laitman: Yes, please?

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (19:23) What is the difference between studying the Torah and keeping the Torah?

M. Laitman: There are many ways to relate to the Torah. There is a Syag LaTorah, which is, like a side note, to the Torah, all kinds of things. I think studying Torah is to learn and to do what we learn, otherwise the learning, itself, is not learning. And keeping or observing Torah, that's something else. It is entering what the Torah writes, requires, and to try to follow it, to do it.

Student: He said that as long as someone is immersed in self-love, the Creator can’t bring him closer because man is still in falsehood. And it's written, he who speaks falsehood, can’t open his eyes, and when he is in pride, the Creator says we can’t dwell in the same abode. So that's still studying?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: Then he says, all his deeds are only to bestow to the King. That's already a process of keeping the Torah?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (21:25) Correct me if I'm wrong, I see the Torah as a connection between us and the Creator; meaning, this is the Creator's way to us through the Torah?

M. Laitman: Yes?

Student: In all kinds of forms and levels and ways. The fear that should come from us, as a basis, is that life was given to us and we don't want to waste them. Not whether we receive it or not, but to be a part of the system. How can we increase fear in the Ten because, then, we'll have a different intensity?

M. Laitman: We want our connection to raise fear of the Creator from us to Him. And this fear will be like a vessel for reception of the light of the Torah that will fill us and give us all the corrections.

Student: Practically, is there a way that we as a Ten can do it?

M. Laitman: Yes, of course, yes; practically, we need to try to connect in every sentence of the Torah. And that our connection will be toward the Creator like an invitation for His bestowal.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (23:25) It's written, “after one receives the light of the Torah, when he is in Lo Lishma then he gets awarded with Lishma. Meaning, faith in the Creator, that then He will do everything for the sake of Heavens”. What does it mean to be rewarded for Lishma?

M. Laitman: It is to be rewarded with all his actions being in order to bestow.

Student: That's through the light?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (24:13) If I want to summarize this letter so, fear of Heaven means that all my actions are for the sake of Heavens.

M. Laitman: Yes?

Student: For the Creator, and there's no chance to receive the Torah if we don't reach that state.

M. Laitman: Of course.

Student: So, our whole work from this letter should be to work on the intention. That all our deeds, all the deeds we're doing.

M. Laitman: Yes.

M. Laitman: To do everything for the sake of the Creator is for our sake because otherwise we would be working in order to receive. And that would be like a breach.

Question (Women Turkiye 8): (25:07) How can we reach a state, and when will we reach fear of Heavens?

M. Laitman: If you intend for this, if you aim for this, then you can approach and ask, and hear the answer, that's it.

Question (Women Rehovot 1): (25:38) What are the conditions to receive the fear of Heaven?

M. Laitman: What are the conditions? That everything I do is only to come to this. There's no need for anything more than fear of Heaven, except that it already directs us toward the purpose of creation.

Question (Novosibirsk): (26:27): How to go from fear of punishment to fear of the Heavens?

M. Laitman: Through prayer. But everyone begins with fear of punishment and then shift to fear of Heaven.

Question (Women HEB 1): (26:48) What are the secrets of the Torah and why are they the purpose of creation?

M. Laitman: The secrets of the Torah are secrets that we don't understand and don't feel, for now. And this is how we come to the purpose of creation.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (27:23) He writes, the fear of Heavens is like a room that you put precious objects in. It's a place, a receptacle for things.

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: How do we build that room with a Ten, that place to put valuable things in?

M. Laitman: From the connection of friends.

Student: The connection creates a place?

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: The sum of our exertion?

M. Laitman: Yes, in order to connect into some place that is called, a room. And there, we collect everything we receive from the Creator.

Student: How do you make sure these things remain in the room? How do you keep it?

M. Laitman: Only through the intention, nothing more.

Student: The purpose of that room is to watch over all those valuable things?

M. Laitman: Yes, which are valuable to us.

Student: And in the end, let's say, what happens with all those things?

M. Laitman: I don't know.

Student: So, for now we're preserving those things, that we will have a place to keep the work?

M. Laitman: Yes, we preserve these things for the Creator, and when and how we give them to Him. And what happens afterwords, I don’t know.

M. Laitman: Yes.

Question (Petah Tikva Center): (29:07) The light in the Torah reforms, meaning it brings them to the fear of Heavens.

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: So, what's the condition, I wish they left Me, and they kept My Torah?

M. Laitman: It is fear.

Student: That's what He puts an emphasis on, the Torah, the light that reforms.

M. Laitman: Yes.

Student: But he says, I wish they left me. What does that mean?

M. Laitman: That they will leave Him, the Creator, to want Him and to reach Him.

Student: For their own benefit?

M. Laitman: Yes, the intention. Okay, what are we doing next?

Reader: (29:54) We have Chapters Of The Fathers.

M. Laitman: And that's it?

Reader: Yes.

M. Laitman: So, let's move to The Chapters Of The Fathers.

Reader: So, next part of the lesson.

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Lesson 48/7/2023

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Series of lessons on the topic: Ba'al HaSulam - undefined
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Lesson 48/7/2023

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Copyright © 2003-2026 Bnei Baruch – Kabbalah L’Am Association, All rights reserved