Article No. 1, 1991
We should understand what it means when we say, “We have no other king but You.” It implies that when we praise the Creator that “We have no other king but You,” then we are not like the nations of the world, who have many gods, while we have only You as our king.
It follows as though the Creator is greater than them. Why is this so important if the Creator is more important than they are, and we chose the Creator? We can say this in the manner that is written in The Zohar (“Introduction of The Book of Zohar,” Item 161), “Rabbi Aba said, ‘It is written, ‘Who would not fear You, King of the nations, for it is Your due?’’ What kind of a praise is this? Rabbi Shimon said to him, ‘This verse does not give Him much respect, for it is written, ‘For among all the sages of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is none like You.’ Why this comparison to people, who have no existence?’”
While there are many interpretations to this, we will explain it in the work. It is known that the order of the work begins first of all on the basis of faith. Right at the beginning of the work, we take upon ourselves the burden of the kingdom of heaven, which is to believe that the Creator is the leader of the world. That is, He watches over the world with private Providence, as said in the article, “The Order of the Work, from Baal HaSulam.”
Afterward, we must know that the faith we take upon ourselves is of inferior importance, meaning that if everything were known and we would not have to believe, this knowledge would be more important to a person. Now a person must believe that although faith is of little importance to a person, he still chooses to go specifically in this path of faith above reason, since he believes in the sages, in what they attained and said.
But one who has no faith in the sages says that if knowledge were more successful for man’s work than faith, as one thinks and says that if serving the Creator were in a state of knowing and we would not have to believe, there would probably be many more servants of the Creator, and many people would dedicate themselves to the work. But when a person must believe in both the Creator and the sages, the faith that people must believe pushes them away from being workers.
However, a person who wants to approach the Creator must believe in the sages, who told us that if the way of knowledge were truly better for guiding the world, the Creator would give us the work in a manner of knowing.
Instead, the Creator knows that the most successful way for a person to achieve the goal, which is His desire to do good to His creations—for man to be able to receive the delight and pleasure without the bread of shame—is specifically through faith.
However, since man is born with a nature of self-love, the body enjoys that which is closer to self-love. For this reason, when a person is told that he must observe Torah and Mitzvot [commandments/good deeds] on the basis of faith, it is difficult for him. He would be happier if everything were known.
However, there are many discernments concerning faith, meaning what a person should believe. The matter is simple: A person should believe only in reward and punishment. That is, if he observes Torah and Mitzvot he will be rewarded, and if he does not observe he will be punished.
There is reward and punishment on all levels. The only difference lies in what is the reward and what is the punishment. In this there are differences between the degrees. This also applies to corporeal matters. For example, a child is told that if he does not want to eat he will be punished, such as when all the children who eat go on a trip, the child who does not want to eat will stay home.
Sometimes the reward and punishment are expressed in the eating itself, in that someone who does not do what the parents command will not get food today and will stay hungry. It follows that it is the same for all people: The reward and punishment give man the push to advance.
For this reason, sometimes a person believes that by observing Torah and Mitzvot he will be rewarded in this world, as it is written in The Zohar, “There are people whose fear is in reward and punishment of this world, meaning long life, health, etc., and there are those whose reward and punishment are in the next world, meaning they have the Garden of Eden. Also, there are people whose fear is Lishma [for Her sake], meaning “because He is great and ruling,” who are privileged that they are serving the King, and this is their reward, and they do not need any other reward.
In other words, they cancel their own authority, have no concern for themselves, and their only worry is to bring contentment to the Maker. Since the body, called “will to receive,” does not accept this, it resists this work. Therefore, precisely here, in work where one wants to work in order to bestow, there are ascents and descents.
In this work, “reward and punishment” are completely different from those applied in the work to receive reward. When a person has some flavor in the work and he feels he has some nearing to the Creator, this is his reward. If he feels that he has been thrown out from the work of the Creator, meaning he does not feel any flavor in the work, a person considers this “the biggest punishment.”
In other words, he has no feeling of work. Yet, one should say that this pushing away that he is feeling is because he is far from the Creator, since a person understands that if he were closer to the Creator, he would have to feel differently than he is feeling now, as it is written, “Strength and joy are in His place.”
This means that when a person feels that he is in a place of Kedusha [holiness], and it is written about Kedusha, “Strength and joy,” but now he feels that he has no vitality and sees everything as black, and he cannot overcome the state that he is in, to a person who wants to come to work for the sake of the Creator, this is considered the biggest punishment.
When a person wants to overcome the state that he is in, he sees that it is impossible to approach the Creator. Sometimes he falls into despair, meaning he wants to escape the campaign and decides that he will never be able to achieve a degree where he has no concern for his own benefit but only for the benefit of the Creator.
So, the question is, which is the truth? That is, is he wrong, and it is actually possible to come to a state where all his actions are for the sake of the Creator, or is it not? That is, does overcoming help, and a person does have the strength to do by himself everything for the sake of the Creator?
The answer is as it is written, “We have no other king but You,” for we are powerless to overcome and take upon ourselves Your being our king and that we will serve You only because of the importance of the King, and we will not do anything for ourselves except that which is beneficial to You. Only You can give us this power, the second nature, which is the desire to bestow.
Therefore, first we say, “Our Father, our King, we have sinned before You.” That is, a person cannot say, “We have no other king but You,” meaning that only the Creator can give this power. And how does one know that it is not within his power? Therefore, first he must do all that he can, as it is written, “Everything that you can do with your hand and strength, do.”
At that time, a person comes to a state where he feels how remote he is from the Creator, meaning that he cannot do anything for the sake of the Creator. Then, the person feels that although he is observing Torah and Mitzvot, he is still regarded as a sinner because he sees that he is not working for the sake of the Creator. Therefore, first, a person must say, “Our Father, our King, we have sinned before You.” Even though he is observing Torah and Mitzvot, he feels that he has sinned by not doing anything for the sake of the Creator.
Afterward, he says wholeheartedly, “Our Father, our King, we have no other king but You.” In other words, only the Creator can help make Him our king, so we can work because we are serving the King, and this is our reward, that we have the privilege of serving the King. This means that only then can we do everything for the sake of the Creator.
In other words, if the Creator does not give him this power, to feel that “we have a great King,” he has no strength to work for the sake of the Creator, for the body claims, “What will you get from bestowing upon the Creator?” In other words, as long as the will to receive dominates, a person is powerless. Sometimes he doubts the beginning, meaning says that now he sees that he has worked in vain and did not gain anything by his labor. Now he really sees that all his work was to no avail.
Therefore, when the Creator helps him and gives him the desire to bestow, and he feels that he has a great King, only the Creator can give this. This is the meaning of what is written, “Our Father, our King, we have no other king but You.” Namely, “Only You can make us feel that we have a great King and it is worthwhile to work for Him, to bring Him contentment.”
According to the above, we should interpret what is written in The Zohar (Haazinu, Item 210), “Happy is he who calls on the King and knows how to call on Him properly. If he calls but does not know Whom he has called, the Creator moves away from him, as it is written, ‘The Lord is near to all who call upon Him.’ To whom is He close? He reiterated and said, ‘To all who call upon Him in truth.’ But does anyone call upon Him falsely? Rabbi Aba said, ‘Yes, it is he who calls but does not know whom he calls.’ It is written, ‘to all who call on Him in truth.’ What is ‘in truth’? It is with the King’s signet ring.”
We should understand what he says about “in truth” and “falsely,” that only those who call “in truth” are heard. He asks, “What is ‘in truth’?” Also, we should know what is “falsely,” meaning what it means that a person calls on the Creator falsely in the work.
The Sulam [Ladder commentary on The Zohar] (“Introduction of The Book of Zohar,” Item 175) brings the words of our sages as follows: “Upon the creation of the world, when He said to the angels, ‘Let us make man in our image,’ Hesed [mercy] said, ‘Let him be created, for he does mercies.’ Emet [truth] said, ‘Let him not be created, for ‘he is all lies.’’ What did the Creator do? He took Truth and cast it to the earth, as it is written, ‘cast truth to the earth.’” Interpretation: It is known that our sages said, “One should always engage in Torah and Mitzvot even if Lo Lishma [not for Her sake], since from Lo Lishma he comes to Lishma [for Her sake].” Because of his lowliness, man cannot engage in His Mitzvot right away in order to bring contentment to his Maker. For this reason, he must first engage in Mitzvot Lo Lishma, meaning for his own benefit. And yet, he still draws abundant Kedusha while performing the Mitzvot. Through the abundance he extends, he will eventually come to engage in Mitzvot Lishma. This is what the truth complained about man’s creation, who said that he is all lies.
According to the above, we see that “truth” means Lishma, meaning for the sake of the Creator, and “falsely” means Lo Lishma, meaning for his own sake. By this we can interpret what The Zohar says, “near to all who call upon Him in truth.” It is known that “far and near” in spirituality mean that equivalence of form is called “near,” and disparity of form is called “far.”
It follows that a person who comes to a state of “truth,” where he feels that unless the Creator helps him come to work for the sake of the Creator, he has no hope of ever achieving the degree of Lishma by himself, meaning to do everything only for the sake of the Creator. Therefore, he calls on the Creator to help him and give him the quality of truth, called “for the sake of the Creator.”
In other words, he asks the Creator to give him the quality of truth, called “equivalence of form.” To that man, the Creator is near. In other words, he wants to be in equivalence of form with the Creator, who is called “as He is merciful, so you are merciful.” This is called, “The Lord is near to those who want to be near,” which is called “equivalence of form.”
Conversely, to those people who call on the Creator falsely, meaning who want the Creator to help them with Lo Lishma, which is called “disparity of form,” the Creator is far from them, since they do not want to draw near to the Creator, which is called Dvekut, “equivalence of form.” This is the meaning of what he says, “Truth is called ‘the King’s ring,’” which is truth, meaning that the kingdom of heaven that they take upon themselves is regarded as “truth,” meaning for the sake of the Creator.
However, man must first prepare a Kli for this light, called “desire to bestow.” A Kli is called “a need,” meaning that a person does not call on the Creator to help him before he has begun the work of bestowal and sees that he is utterly incapable of attaining this by himself. At that time, a person asks to be given help from above.
For this reason, once a person has done all that he could and saw that he is utterly incapable of obtaining this desire, he comes to realize that no one can help him but the Creator. Then, a person says, “Our Father, our King, We have no King, meaning that there is no way that we will have faith in a king whom we will be able to serve ‘because He is great and ruling,’ but You,” meaning that only the Creator can help him.
There, in The Zohar, he interprets that the King’s ring is called the “middle line,” and the middle line is called “truth.” In other words, each line in itself is incomplete. We can understand this with an allegory: Two people prepared a meal for guests. One prepared meat and fish, and other things, and the other prepared only spices, salt, and vinegar, and so forth. But then, a dispute broke out between them, and each one said that he will call the guests over to him and will give them the meal. When the one who promised to provide only spices let them eat the spices, meaning to drink the vinegar and eat the salt, etc., who could eat? And the other one, who gave meat, fish, and other things to eat, who could eat meat and fish without salt, etc.? Since people could not eat at either place, they had to make peace between them and mix the food with the spices, and out of the two, a good meal emerged.
Likewise, when a person begins to walk in Lo Lishma, he is in a state of wholeness. This is called “one line.” But when he shifts to the left line and begins to criticize the order of his work, meaning with what intention he is working, namely what reward he wants for his work, he feels a bitter taste.
In other words, he sees that he is not all right. Put differently, he sees that he cannot do anything for the sake of the Creator. In that state, each line in itself is incomplete, since the completion of the “right” is only because he is content with his lot, meaning says that he is very privileged that he has a small grip on spirituality, even if it is Lo Lishma, for in terms of actions, he has something, in that he observes the Mitzvot of the Creator. Although the faith in the Creator is only partial faith (as it is written in the “Introduction to The Study of the Ten Sefirot,” Item 14), that part is still important to him.
This is not so with the left line, where he sees that he is full of faults and feels a bitter taste in his life. It is like a spice given in order to sweeten the food. But a spice without food is not a dish. It follows that each line in itself is incomplete, but when using both lines, right and left, from this we come to the middle line.
In other words, the Creator gives the soul, as our sages said, “There are three partners in a person: his father, his mother, and the Creator.” The father is called “right.” He gives the white. “White” means that there is no lack there. Mother is called the “left line.” She gives the red, which is called “lacks.” From the two of them together there can emerge the middle line, which is called “The Creator gives the soul.” At that time, the quality of “man” emerges.
We should know that when a person shifts to the left line and begins to see how far he is from the desire to bestow, and that he is immersed in self-love, and sees his faults to an extent that he had never imagined—that he would be so removed from working for the sake of the Creator—he begins to think that foreign thoughts must have come to him from the Sitra Achra [other side], who gives him these thoughts and desires that are inappropriate for someone who wishes to be a servant of the Creator. Even for an ordinary person, who is not working, it is inappropriate to have such thoughts and desires. At that time, a person must overcome through faith in the sages, and believe that all those thoughts come from above, as it is written in the essay, “Other Gods.” In other words, the Creator sends them to a person, but he should not think that these are new thoughts and desires that did not previously exist in the person but came now. This is not so.
Rather, they were previously within man’s body but were not revealed because nothing is done without a reason. Now that he wants to walk on the path of truth and wants to correct himself, he is shown from above what he has in his body, and which is not apparent outwards. Now that a person wants to correct himself, these thoughts are shown to him so he will know what to correct.
To understand this, we should look in the book A Sage’s Fruit (Part 1, p 55), where it is written, “I admit that you are right about that; I do not feel those pains that you feel whatsoever. On the contrary, I rejoice in those revealed corruptions and the ones that are being revealed. I do, however, regret and complain about the corruptions that have not been revealed. If they appeared now, there is no doubt that they were here to begin with, but were hidden. This is why I am happy when they come out of their holes. I remember discussing similarly with you on the first day of Rosh Hashanah [the first day of the Jewish year], Tav-Reish-Peh-Aleph [September 13, 1920], upon our return from the house of A.M. You shared with me very sad things that you saw that morning during the morning service [prayer] (he was the prayer-leader of the morning service). I was filled with joy before you and you asked me, ‘Why the joy?’ I replied to you the same then, that when buried wicked appear, although they have not been fully conquered, their very appearance is regarded as a great salvation and causes the sanctity of the day.”
Therefore, we should not be alarmed if a person feels that he has suffered a descent, as though he were thrown from above. On the contrary, at that time a person should believe that the Creator is tending to him and guides him so he will be able to achieve Dvekut [adhesion] with Him, as it is written, “And to cleave unto Him.”
At that time, a person comes to a state where he feels that he has sinned. That is, before he began the work of bestowal, he thought that he was incomplete, but that in general, he was fine, since he saw the lowliness of other people, whereas he, thank God, was not as bad. But now he sees that he is the worst. That is, no one has such thoughts and desires.
The answer is that in order for a person to be able to receive a complete thing, he must have a complete lack. Hence, from above, he is shown his deficiencies each time, which were concealed within his body. It therefore follows that a person must say that the Creator was merciful with him in that He revealed to him his faults, just as He is giving him the filling, for “There is no filling without a lack.”
By this we can interpret what is written (Psalms 89), “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever, generation after generation I will make known Your faith with my mouth.” We should understand the meaning of “sing forever.” How can one sing to the Creator when he sees that he is full of faults and his heart is not whole with the Creator, and he feels far from the Creator? And sometimes, he even wants to escape the campaign. How can he say that this is the Lord’s mercies and he is singing about this to the Creator?
According to the above, a person should say that the fact that he is in a lowly state is not because now he has become worse. Rather, now, since he wants to correct himself so that all his actions will be for the sake of the Creator, from above he is shown his true state—what is in his body, which until now was concealed and was not apparent. Now the Creator has revealed them, as it is written in the book A Sage’s Fruit.
A person says about this that it is mercy that the Creator has revealed to him the bad in him so he would know the truth and would be able to ask of the Creator for a real prayer. It follows that on one hand, now he sees that he is far from the Creator. On the other hand, a person should say that the Creator is close to him and tends to him, and shows him the faults. Hence, he should say that they are mercies.
This is the meaning of the words, “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever.” That is, on one hand, he is happy and is singing about this. On the other hand, he sees that he must repent. In other words, he must ask of the Creator to bring him closer and give him the desire to bestow, which is a second nature.
This is the meaning of the words, “generation after generation I will make known Your faith.” “Generation after generation” means that there is cessation in the middle, which is the meaning of ascents and descents. A generation is positive, and the cessation is negative. However, specifically by this, the light of faith appears.