The Order of the Work, from Baal HaSulam

Article No. 46, 1990

1) To believe that there is an Overseer to the world.

2) To know that faith is of inferior importance, yet he chooses to walk in this path.

3) His faith should be in a manner of bestowal, and not in order to receive.

4) When attributing the work to the Creator, he should believe that the Creator accepts our work, regardless of how the work seems.

5) There are two discernments to make concerning faith above reason: 1) He is going above reason because he has no choice. 2) Even should he be given reason, and he will no longer have to go above reason, he will still choose to walk in the path of above reason.

6) One should know that when his work is in self-love, after all the successes that a person depicts to himself that he can achieve, he will be able to benefit only himself. Conversely, with love of the Creator, he benefits the general public.

7) We must give thanks and praise for the past because on this depends the future. That is, to the extent that we give thanks, to that extent we appreciate everything that we receive from above and know how to keep the help we receive from above so as not to lose it.

8) The heart of the work is to walk on the right line, meaning wholeness. That is, whatever grip we have on spirituality, we should be happy that the Creator has given us a thought and desire to do something in spirituality.

9) We should also walk on the left line. But for this, half an hour a day is enough, meaning to calculate how much he prefers the love of the Creator over self-love. To the extent that he sees the deficiencies, he will pray that the Creator will truly bring him closer, for specifically on two lines can one advance.

We should make three discernments in the order of the work (A Sage’s Fruit, Vol. 1, p 115):

1) To yearn to complement one’s soul and return it to its root. This is called “the quality of Israel.”

2) To understand the ways of the Creator and the secrets of Torah, for “One who does not know the commandment of the upper one, how will he serve Him?” This is regarded as the Torah.

3) To yearn to attain the Creator, meaning to cling unto Him with complete recognition, which is regarded as the Creator.

It is best to strive for the commandment of the upper one, which is the middle line.