Excerpts from the sources: “Work with Faith Above Reason”

1. Rabash. Assorted Notes. Article 236 “The Whole Earth Is Full of His Glory”

Before one is fit to attain the truth, he must believe that the truth is not as he knows or feels, but that it is as it is written, “They have eyes and they will not see; they have ears and they will not hear.” This is only because of the correction, in order for man to achieve his wholeness, for he feels only himself and not another reality.

Hence, if one returns his heart to trying to walk in faith above the intellect, by this he qualifies it and establishes it so as to achieve the revelation of the face, as is presented in The Zohar, that the Shechina [Divinity] said to Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, “There is no place to hide from you,” meaning that in all the concealments that he felt, he believed that here was the light of the Creator. This qualified him until he achieved the revelation of the face of His light.

This is the meaning of the measure of the faith that pulls one out of every lowliness and concealment if a person strengthens himself in this and asks the Creator to reveal Himself.

2. Rabash. Article 6 (1989), “What Is Above Reason in the Work?”

The work, “faith above reason” means we must believe although the mind does not see that this is so, and it has several proofs that it is not as he wants to believe. This is called “faith above reason,” meaning he says that he believes as though he sees it within reason. This is called “faith above reason” in the work.

In other words, it is a lot of work for a person to take this upon himself; it is against reason. This means that the body does not agree to this, yet he accepts it nonetheless as though it were within reason. Such faith requires help from the Creator. For this reason, for such faith, a person needs to pray that He will give him the power to be similar to Him as though he had attained it within reason.

In other words, a person should not pray to the Creator to help him understand everything within reason. Instead, he should pray to the Creator to give him the strength to assume faith above reason as though it were within reason.

3. Rabash. Article 28 (1987), “What Is Do Not Add and Do Not Take Away in the Work?”

He must believe above reason and imagine that he has already been rewarded with faith in the Creator that is felt in his organs, and he sees and feels that the Creator leads the entire world as the good who does good. Although when he looks within reason he sees the opposite, he should still work above reason and it should appear to him as though he can already feel in his organs that so it really is, that the Creator leads the world as the good who does good.

Here he acquires the importance of the goal, and from here he derives life, meaning joy at being near to the Creator. Then a person can say that the Creator is good and does good, and feel that he has the strength to tell the Creator, “You have chosen us from among all nations, You have loved us and wanted us,” since he has a reason to thank the Creator. And to the extent that he feels the importance of spirituality, so he establishes the praise of the Creator.

4. Rabash. Article 6 (1991), “What Is, “The Herdsmen of Abram’s Cattle and the Herdsmen of Lot’s Cattle,” in the Work?”

Specifically through faith above reason, meaning even if he feels darkness on this path, and even though he understands that if Malchut had illuminated openly and not in concealment, and the body would feel the greatness of the Creator, it would be easier for him to move further and be rewarded with always being in a state of work and he would have no descents, he nonetheless chooses to go above reason.

5. Rabash. Article 38 (1990), “What Is, “A Cup of Blessing Must Be Full,” in the Work?”

This is so when a person can go with his eyes shut, above reason, and believe in the sages and go all the way. This is called Ibur, when he has no mouth. Ibur means as it is written (The Study of the Ten Sefirot, Part 8, Item 17), “The level of Malchut, which is the most restricted Katnut [smallness/infancy] possible, is called Ibur. It comes from the words Evra [anger] and Dinin [Aramaic: judgments], as it is written, ‘And the Lord was impregnated in me for your sake.’”

We should interpret the meaning of “anger and judgments.” When a person must go with this eyes shut, above reason, the body resists this work. Hence, the fact that a person always has to overcome, this is called “anger, wrath, and trouble,” since it is hard work to always overcome and annul before the upper one, for the upper one to do with him what the upper one wants. This is called Ibur, which is the most restricted Katnut possible.

6. Rabash. Article 22 (1985), “The Whole of the Torah Is One Holy Name”

Any overcoming in the work is called “walking in the work of the Creator,” since each penny joins into a great amount.” That is, all the times we overcome accumulate to a certain measure required to become a Kli for the reception of the abundance.

Overcoming means taking a part of a vessel of reception and adding it to the vessels of bestowal. It is like the Masach [screen], which we must put on the Aviut [thickness/will to receive]. It follows that if one has no will to receive, one has nothing on which to place a Masach. For this reason, when the evil inclination brings us foreign thoughts, this is the time to take these thoughts and raise them above reason.

This is something one can do with everything one’s soul desires. He should not say that now he has received rejection from the work. Rather, he should say that he was given thoughts and desires from above so as to have room to admit them into Kedusha [holiness]

7. Rabash. Assorted Notes. Article 5, “The Meaning of Sins Becoming as Merits”

This is similar to a flame that is tied to the wick. The foreign thought is considered the wick, which wants to install a flaw in his work. That is, the foreign thought makes him think that from the perspective of the mind and reason, he has nothing to do in His work. And when he gets the foreign thought, he says that he does not want to make any excuses, but everything that the reason says is correct except he is walking on the path of faith, which is above reason.

It follows that the flame of faith is tied to the wick of the foreign thought. Thus, only now can he observe the Mitzva of faith properly. It follows that the questions have become to him as merits, since otherwise he would not be able to accept any merits from faith.

This is called “rejoicing in suffering.” Although he suffers from the foreign thoughts that afflict him and cause him to slander and gossip and speak badly about His work, he is nonetheless happy about it for only now, at such a time, he can observe in a manner of faith above reason. This is called “the joy of Mitzva.”

8. Baal HaSulam. Shamati 19. “What Is “The Creator Hates the Bodies,” in the Work?”

One must not be angry when he has work with the will to receive, that it obstructs him in the work. One would certainly be more satisfied if the will to receive were absent from the body, meaning that it would not bring its questions to a person, obstructing him in the work of observing Torah and Mitzvot [commandments].

However, one should believe that the obstructions of the will to receive in the work come to him from above. One is given the force to discover the will to receive from above because there is room for work precisely when the will to receive awakens.

Then one has close contact with the Creator to help him turn the will to receive to work in order to bestow. One must believe that from this extends contentment to the Creator, from his praying to Him to draw him near in the manner of Dvekut [adhesion], called “equivalence of form,” discerned as the annulment of the will to receive, so it is in order to bestow. The Creator says about this, “My sons defeated Me.” That is, I gave you the will to receive, and you ask Me to give you a desire to bestow instead.

9. Rabash. Article 36 (1989), “What Is “For It Is Your Wisdom and Understanding in the Eyes of the Nations,” in the Work?”

He should tell the nations of the world within him, “Know that everything you say is true. Reasonably speaking, you are correct, and I have nothing to reply to you. However, we were given the work above reason—that we must believe above reason that you are incorrect. And since the work on faith must be above reason, I thank you very much for your correct arguments that you have brought me, since it cannot be said that a person goes above reason unless he has reason and intellect. Then, it can be said that he is going above the intellect.

But when there is no reason, it cannot be said that he is going above reason. That is, “above reason” means that this path is more important than the path within reason. However, when there is no other way to tell him, “Walk in this path!” it cannot be said that he chooses the path of faith above reason. For this reason, precisely through the power of faith above reason is it possible to defeat the views of the nations of the world within man.

10. Baal HaSulam. Shamati 13, “A Pomegranate”

There is emptiness only in a place where there is no existence, as in “The earth hangs on nothing.” You find that what is the measure of the filling of the empty place? The answer is, according to one’s elevation of oneself above reason.

This means that the emptiness should be filled with exaltedness, meaning with above reason, and to ask of the Creator to give him that strength. This will mean that all the emptiness was created, meaning it comes to a person to feel this way—that he is empty—only in order to fill it with the Romemut of the Creator. In other words, one is to take everything above reason.

This is the meaning of the verse, “God has made it that He will be feared.” This means that these thoughts of emptiness come to a person in order for one to have a need to take upon himself faith above reason. And for this we need the help of the Creator. It follows that at that time, one must ask the Creator to give him the power to believe above reason.

It turns out that it is precisely then that one needs the Creator to help him, since the exterior mind lets him understand the opposite. Hence, at that time, one has no other choice but to ask the Creator to help him.

It is said about this, “One’s desire overcomes him every day; and were it not for the Creator, he would not overcome it.”

11. Baal HaSulam. Shamati 14. “What Is the Exaltedness of the Creator?”

The Romemut [exaltedness/sublimity] of the Creator means that one should ask the Creator for the strength to go above reason. This means that there are two interpretations to the Romemut of the Creator:

1. To not be filled with knowledge, which is intellect with which one can answer one’s questions. Rather, he wants the Creator to answer his questions. It is called Romemut because all the wisdom comes from above and not from man, meaning that man can answer his own questions.
Anything that one can answer is regarded as answering everything with the external mind. This means that the will to receive understands that it is worthwhile to observe Torah and Mitzvot [commandments]. However, if the above reason compels one to work, it is called “against the opinion of the will to receive.”

2. The greatness of the Creator means that one becomes needy of the Creator to grant his wishes. Therefore:

1. One should go above reason. Then one sees that he is empty and becomes needy of the Creator.

2. Only the Creator can give him the strength to be able to go above reason. In other words, what the Creator gives is called “The Romemut of the Creator.”

12. Baal HaSulam. Shamati 16, “What Is the Day of the Lord and the Night of the Lord, in the Work?”

“Woe unto you who desire the day of the Lord! Why do you need the day of the Lord? It is darkness, and not light.” The thing is that those who await the day of the Lord, it means that they are waiting to be imparted faith above reason, that faith will be so strong, as if they see with their eyes, with certainty, that it is so, that the Creator watches over the world in a manner of good and doing good.

In other words, they do not want to see how the Creator leads the world as The Good Who Does Good, since seeing is contradictory to faith. In other words, faith is precisely where it is against reason. And when one does what is against one’s reason, this is called “faith above reason.”

This means that they believe that the guidance of the Creator over the creatures is in a manner of good and doing good. While they do not see it with absolute certainty, they do not say to the Creator, “We want to see the quality of good and doing good as seeing within reason.” Rather, they want it to remain in them as faith above reason, but they ask of the Creator to give them such strength that this faith will be so strong, as if they see it within reason, that there will be no difference between faith and knowledge in the mind. This is what they, those who want to adhere to the Creator, refer to as “the day of the Lord.”

13. Baal HaSulam. Shamati 42, “What Is the Acronym Elul1 in the Work?”

It is impossible to obtain disclosure before one receives the discernment of Achoraim [posterior], discerned as concealment of the Face, and to say that it is as important to him as the disclosure of the Face. It means that one should be as glad as though he has already acquired the disclosure of the Face.

However, one cannot persist and appreciate the concealment like the disclosure, except when one works in bestowal. At that time, one can say, “I do not care what I feel during the work because what is important to me is that I want to bestow upon the Creator. If the Creator understands that He will have more contentment if I work in a form of Achoraim, I agree.”

14. Baal HaSulam. Shamati 42. “What Is the Acronym Elul in the Work?”

When one comes to a state where one has no support, one’s state becomes black, which is the lowest quality in the upper world, and that becomes the Keter to the lower one, as the Kli of Keter is a vessel of bestowal.The lowest quality in the upper one is Malchut, which has nothing of its own, meaning that she does not have anything. Only in this manner is it called Malchut. It means that if one takes upon himself the kingdom of heaven—which is in a state of not having anything—gladly, afterward, it becomes Keter, which is a vessel of bestowal.

15. Rabash. Article 12 (1991), “These Candles Are Sacred”

And the most important is the prayer. That is, one must pray to the Creator to help him go above reason, meaning that the work should be with gladness, as though he has already been rewarded with the reason of Kedusha, and what joy he would feel then. Likewise, he should ask the Creator to give him this power, so he can go above the reason of the body.In other words, although the body does not agree to this work in order to bestow, he asks the Creator to be able to work with gladness, as is suitable for one who serves a great King. He does not ask the Creator to show the greatness of the Creator, and then he will work gladly. Rather, he wants the Creator to give him joy in the work of above reason, that it will be as important to a person as if he already has reason.

16. Baal HaSulam. Shamati 96. “What Is Waste of Barn and Winery, in the Work?”

The purpose of the work is in the literal and nature, since in this work he no longer has room to fall lower down, since he is already placed on the ground. This is so because he does not need greatness because to him it is always like something new.That is, he always works as though he had just begun to work. And he works in the form of accepting the burden of the kingdom of heaven above reason. The basis, upon which he built the order of the work, was in the lowest manner, and all of it was truly above reason. Only one who is truly naïve can be so low as to proceed without any basis on which to establish his faith, literally with no support.

Additionally, he accepts this work with great joy, as though he had had real knowledge and vision on which to establish the certainty of faith. And to that exact measure of above reason, to that very measure as though he had reason. Hence, if he persists in this way, he can never fall. Rather, he can always be in gladness, by believing that he is serving a great King.

17. Rabash. Assorted Notes. Article 21. “Sanctification of the Month”

A person must take upon himself the burden of the kingdom of heaven on the lowest quality, and say about it that to him, even that state, the lowest that can be, meaning one that is entirely above reason, when he has no support from the mind or the feeling, so he can build its foundations on it, and at that time, he is seemingly standing between heaven and earth and has no support, for then everything is above reason, then a person says that the Creator sent him this state, where he is in utter lowliness, since the Creator wants him to take upon himself the burden of the kingdom of heaven in this manner of lowliness.At that time, because he believes above reason, he takes upon himself that the situation he is in now comes to him from the Creator, meaning that the Creator wants him to see the lowest possible state that can be in the world.And yet, he must say that he believes in the Creator in all manners. This is considered that he has made an unconditional surrender.

18. Rabash. Article 24 (1991), “What Does It Mean that One Should Bear a Son and a Daughter, in the Work?”

The work above reason should be unconditional surrender. That is, one should take upon himself the burden of the kingdom of heaven above reason. A person should say, “I want to be a servant of the Creator even though I have no idea about the work and I feel no flavor in the work. Nevertheless, I am willing to work with all my might as though I have attainment and feeling and flavor in the work, and I am willing to work unconditionally.” At that time, a person can go forward, and then there is no place for him to fall from his state, since he takes upon himself to work even when he is placed right in the earth, since it is impossible to be lower than the earth.

This is as it is written (Ecclesiastes 1), “A generation goes and a generation comes, and the earth forever stands.”

19. Baal HaSulam. Shamati .8. “What Is the Difference between a Shade of Kedusha and a Shade of Sitra Achra?”

“Under its shadow I coveted to sit, and its fruit was sweet to my palate.” In other words, he says that all the concealments and afflictions he feels are because the Creator has sent him these states so he would have a place for work above reason.When one has the strength to say this—that the Creator causes him all this—it is to one’s benefit. This means that through this he can come to work in order to bestow and not for his own sake. At that time, one realizes, meaning believes that the Creator enjoys specifically this work, which is built entirely on above reason.It follows that at that time, one does not pray to the Creator that the shadows will flee from the world. Rather, he says, “I see that the Creator wants me to serve Him in this manner, entirely above reason.” Thus, in everything he does he says, “The Creator certainly enjoys this work, so why should I care if I am working in a state of concealment of the face?”Because one wants to work in order to bestow, meaning that the Creator will enjoy, he feels no humiliation in this work, meaning a sensation that he is in a state of concealment of the face, that the Creator does not enjoy this work. Instead, one agrees to the leadership of the Creator.

20. Rabash. Article 24 (1991) “What Does It Mean that One Should Bear a Son and a Daughter, in the Work?”

If one decides that he wants to work as “dust,” meaning even if he tastes the taste of dust in the work, he says that it is very important for him to be able to do something for the sake of the Creator, and for himself, he does not care which taste he feels, and says that this work, in which one tastes the taste of dust, meaning that the body mocks this work, he says to the body that in his view, this work is regarded as “raising the Shechina [Divinity] from the dust.”In other words, although the body tastes dust in this work, the person says that it is Kedusha and does not measure how much flavor he feels in the work. Rather, he believes that the Creator does enjoy this work, since there is no mixture of the will to receive here, since he has nothing to receive because there are no flavor or scent in this work, as there is only the taste of dust here. For this reason, he believes that this is the holy work, and he is delighted.

21. Baal HaSulam. Shamati 19. What Is “The Creator Hates the Bodies,” in the Work?

sometimes one despises this work of assuming the burden of the kingdom of heaven, which is a time of a sensation of darkness, when one sees that no one can save him from the state he is in but the Creator. Then he takes upon himself the kingdom of heaven above reason, as an ox to the burden and as a donkey to the load.One should be glad that now he has something to give to the Creator, and the Creator enjoys him having something to give to the Creator. But one does not always have the strength to say that this is beautiful work, called “adornment,” but he despises this work.This is a harsh condition for one to be able to say that he chooses this work over the work of whiteness, meaning that he does not sense a taste of darkness during the work, but then one feels a taste in the work. It means that then he does not have to work with the will to receive to agree to take upon himself the kingdom of heaven above reason.If he does overcome himself and can say that this work is pleasant to him that now he is observing the Mitzva [commandment] of faith above reason, and he accepts this work as beauty and adornment, this is called “A joy of Mitzva.”

22. Rabash. Article 4 (1989), “What Is a Flood of Water in the Work?”

However, we must know that it is a lot of work before we attain the quality of Bina. That is, to be content with little with his feeling and his mind, and be happy with his share, with what he has. That person can always be in wholeness because he is happy with his share.But what can one do if he has not yet obtained this quality, and he sees that he cannot overcome his will to receive. At that time, he must pray to the Creator to help him so he can go in the work with his eyes shut, and will not need anything, and will be able to do everything for the sake of the Creator despite the resistance of the body to this.That is, he does not tell the Creator how He should help him. Rather, he must subjugate himself and annul before the Creator unconditionally. But since he cannot overcome his body, he asks the Creator to help him win the war against the inclination.

23. Rabash. Article 23 (1991), “What Is the Meaning of the Purification of a Cow’s Ashes, in the Work?”

In faith,.. we should make three discernments:

1) For example, if a person gives to his friend $1,000, and the person accepts it, and he is completely sure and believes, since this man is my friend, and a meticulous person, so if he gives the money, there must be $1,000 there, and there is no need to count. This is called “faith below reason.” In other words, he believes him because his reason does not object to what he believes, meaning there is no contradiction between believing him and the reason. It follows that to him, faith is below reason, and the reason is more important. That is, he believes him because reason does not object. However, if this is in contrast to reason, he will probably not believe. This is still not regarded as faith above reason.

2) He tells him, “Here is $1,000.” The receiver counts it three times and sees that there is the stated amount there and says to the giver, “I believe you that there is that amount here, as you say.” Certainly, this does not count as faith.

3) He counts the $1,000 three times and sees that one dollar is missing, but he says to the giver, “I believe you that there is $1,000 here. Even though the reason and the intellect say that there is less here, he says that he believes. This is called true “above reason.”

24. Rabash. Article 23 (1990), “What Does It Mean that Moses Was Perplexed about the Birth of the Moon, in the Work?”

We must believe in the sages, who tell us that all our work, however we work, if the person attributes the work to the Creator, even if it is in utter lowliness, the Creator enjoys it. The person should be happy that he can do things while in a state of lowliness.

The person should tell himself that He enjoys this work, which is entirely above reason. Reasonably thinking, this work is not considered “work,” meaning an important act that the Creator enjoys. Yet, he believes in the sages, who told us that the Creator does enjoy, but this is above reason.

25. Rabash. Article 6 (1990), “When Should One Use Pride in the Work?”

A person should say that although he is in utter lowliness, meaning he is still immersed in self-love, and still cannot do anything above reason, the Creator still gave him a thought and desire to engage in Torah and Mitzvot, and has also given him some strength to be able to overcome the spies who speak to him and poke his mind with their arguments. And still, he has some grip on spirituality.

At that time, a person should pay attention to this and believe that the Creator is tending to him and guides him on the track that leads to the King’s palace. It follows that he should be happy that the Creator is watching over him and gives him the descents, as well. That is, a person should believe, as much as he can understand, that the Creator is giving him the ascents, since certainly, a person cannot say that he himself receives the ascents, but that the Creator wants to bring him closer; this is why He gives him the ascents.

Also, a person should believe that the Creator gives him the descents, as well, because He wants to bring him closer. Therefore, every single thing that he can do, he must do as though he is in a state of ascent. Therefore, when he overcomes a little during the descent, it is called an “awakening from below.” Each act that he does, he believes that it is the Creator’s will, and by this itself he is rewarded with greater nearing, meaning that the person himself begins to feel that the Creator has brought him closer.

26. Rabash. Assorted Notes. Article 71 “The Meaning of Exile”

When he began to work, there had to be some pleasure and reward for which the body agreed to this work. Afterward, when he was permitted to see that there is the matter of “for the sake of the Creator,” because a Mitzva induces a Mitzva, and he had to ask to be delivered from exile, then he runs from the exile.

How does he run from the exile? It is by saying that he will not succeed in this work. Thus, what does he do? He commits suicide, meaning leaves the work and returns to corporeal life, which is regarded as “The wicked in their lives are called ‘dead.’”

It follows that where he should have asked for redemption from exile, he runs from the exile and commits suicide. This is as it is written, “The ways of the Lord are straight; the righteous will walk in them, and transgressors will fail in them.” However, he should go above reason.

A descent in spirituality does not mean that now he has no faith. Rather, now he must do more work, and the previous faith is considered a descent compared to this work.

27. Rabash. Assorted Notes. Article 289. “The Creator Is Meticulous with the Righteous”

The blow that one receives from the Creator, when He takes from him the flavor of the work, by this itself He heals him because then he has no other way to serve the Creator but with faith above reason. It follows that the blow that he received from the Creator, from this itself he can be healed, for otherwise, he will remain in separation.

By this we understand what our sages said, that by the blows of the Creator, He heals (Mechilta BeShalach). In other words, this is the healing—that He gives him room to work with faith without any support.

Also, we should understand what our sages said, “The Creator makes a decree and a righteous revokes it” (Moed Katan, 16). This means that the Creator makes a decree, taking from him the pleasure of the work, and there is no harsher decree than taking from someone the vitality in the work.

But the righteous revokes it. That is, if a person says he wants to work without any reward of vitality and pleasure, then the decree is revoked in any case. Moreover, now he rises to a higher degree, for now he is in a state of pure faith and is regarded as having no self-interest.

28. Rabash. Article 7 (1990), “What Are the Times of Prayer and Gratitude in the Work?”

A person must believe above reason that he is in wholeness, and so is the whole world.

It follows that in this way he can and should thank the Creator for giving us abundance. This is called the “right line,” which is the complete opposite of the left line. That is, in the left line, we walk within reason, as was said, that “A judge has only what his eyes see.” In other words, it is specifically with the intellect and not above the intellect. But when shifting to work with the “right,” the left is the cause that the right is built on the basis of above reason.

This is as our sages said, “The left pushes away and the right pulls near.” In other words, the state of “left” shows a person how he is rejected and separated from the work of the Creator. “The right pulls near” means that it shows him that he is close to the work of the Creator. This means that when he engages in the left, the left should bring him to see a state of rejection, that he is rejected and separated from the work. When he engages in the right, he should come to a state where he sees that he is close to the Creator. He should thank the Creator for the “right,” and pray to the Creator for the “left,”

29. Rabash. Assorted Notes. Article 300. “A Land Where You Will Eat Bread Without Scarcity”

This is what it means that one must engage in Torah day and night, that the night and the day should be equal for him, as written in The Zohar (BeShalach). In other words, the state of completeness called “day,” and the state of incompleteness called “night,” should be equal. That is, if his aim is for the sake of the Creator then he agrees that he wants to bring contentment to his Maker, and if the Creator wants him to remain in the state of incompleteness, he agrees to this, as well. The consent is expressed by doing his work as if he were rewarded with wholeness. This is regarded as “agreeing,” when the day and the night are equal to him.

But if there is a difference, to the extent of the difference, there is separation, and on that separation there is a grip to the outer ones. Hence, if a person feels that to him there is a difference, he must pray to the Creator to help him so there will not be a difference for him, and then he will be rewarded with completeness.

30. Rabash. Article 16 (1989), “What Is the Prohibition to Bless on an Empty Table, in the Work?”

A person should establish the praise of the Creator, and then pray. Clearly, while he establishes the praises, he says that the Creator is good and does good to the bad and to the good, and that He is merciful and gracious. At that time, it cannot be said that a person is deficient, meaning that he lacks something whether in spirituality or in corporeality. Otherwise, it means that he is merely saying but his heart is not with him. That is, in his heart, he thinks differently from what he says with his mouth. For this reason, it is impossible to sing and thank the Creator and say His virtues, but a person says about himself that he has abundance and that he lacks nothing. Thus, how can one say so when he finds himself bare and destitute?

Baal HaSulam said about this that a person should depict to himself as though he has already been rewarded with complete faith in the Creator and already feels that the Creator leads the world in a manner of good and doing good. Although when he looks at himself and the world and sees that he and the whole world are deficient, each according to his degree, he should say about this, “They have eyes and see not,” meaning above reason. In this way, he can say that he is a complete person and lacks nothing. Naturally, he can establish the praise of the Creator above reason.

31. Rabash. Article 25 (1987), “What Is Heaviness of the Head in the Work?”

A prayer should be with heaviness of the head, meaning when a person feels that he does not have faith above reason, meaning that the reason does not mandate him to work in order to bestow, yet the person understands the primary goal should be to be rewarded with Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator. Since the reason objects to this, he must go against reason, and this is very hard work.

Since he is asking the Creator to give him something to which all of his organs object, it follows that each and every prayer he makes to the Creator has its special work. This is why a prayer is called “work in the heart,” meaning that he wants to go against the intellect and the mind, which tell him the complete opposite.

This is why it is not called “the work of the brain,” since the work of the brain means that a person exerts to understand something with his mind and reason. But here he does not want to understand with his reason that we should serve the Creator in a state of knowing. Rather, he wants to serve the Creator specifically with faith above reason. This is why a prayer is called “work in the heArticle ”

32. Rabash. Article 13 (1988), “What Is “the People’s Shepherd Is the Whole People” in the Work?”

That state, when he sees a dark world, and he wants to believe above reason that the Creator behaves with the world in Private Providence as good and doing good, he remains standing on this point, and all kinds of foreign thoughts come into his mind. Then, he must overcome above reason, that Providence is good and does good. At that time he receives a need for the Creator to give him the power of faith that he will have the strength to go above reason and justify Providence.

Then he can understand the meaning of “Shechina [Divinity] in the dust,” since then he sees that where he should do something for the Creator and not for his own sake, the body promptly asks, “What is this work for you?” and does not want to give him strength to work. This is called “Shechina in the dust,” meaning that what he wants to do for the sake of the Shechina tastes to him like dust and he is powerless to overcome his thoughts and desires.

At that time a person realizes that all he lacks in order to have strength to work is that the Creator will give him the power of faith, as said above (in the prayer of Rabbi Elimelech), that we must pray, “And do fix Your Faith in our hearts forever and ever.” In that state, he comes to the realization that “If the Creator does not help him, he cannot overcome it.”

33. Rabash. Article 38 (1990), “What Is, “A Cup of Blessing Must Be Full,” in the Work?”

A person needs great mercy in order not to escape the campaign. Although he uses the counsels that our sages said, “I have created the evil inclination; I have created the Torah as a spice,” but the person says that he has already used this advice several times to no avail.

He also says that he has already used the advice “He who comes to purify is aided,” and it is as though all the counsels are not for him. Thus, he does not know what to do. This is the worst state for a person, meaning he wants to escape from these states but has nowhere to run. At that time he suffers torments at being between despair and confidence. But then a person says, “Where will I turn?”

At that time, the only advice is prayer. Yet, this prayer is also without any guarantee, so it follows that then he must pray to believe that the Creator does hear a prayer, and everything that one feels in these states is to his benefit. But this can be only above reason, meaning although the mind tells him, “After all the calculations, you see that nothing can help you,” he should believe this, too, above reason, that the Creator can deliver him from the will to receive for himself, in return for which he will receive the desire to bestow.

34. Rabash. Article 37 (1991), “What Is the “Torah” and What Is “The Statute of the Torah,” in the Work?”

When he wants to do everything for the sake of the Creator and not for his own sake. Here the body resists with all its might, since it argues, “Why do you want to put me and my domain to death? You come to me with having to work only for the sake of the Creator and not for one’s own sake, which is truly annulment of the will to receive from everything. You tell me that our sages said, ‘The Torah exists only in one who puts himself to death over it,’ meaning to put to death all the domain of self-benefit and care only for the benefit of the Creator, and before this, a person cannot be rewarded with the Torah.” Yet, a person sees that it is unrealistic that he will have the strength to go against nature.

At that time, one has no choice but to turn to the Creator and say, “Now I have come to a state where I see that unless You help me, I am lost. I will never have the strength to overcome the will to receive, as this is my nature. Rather, only the Creator can give another nature.”

35. Rabash. Article 23 (1989), “What Is, If He Swallows the Bitter Herb, He Will Not Come Out, in the Work?”

Even when he comes to know that the Creator can help him, and he understands that the real advice is only prayer, the body comes and makes him see that “You see how many prayers you have already prayed but you received no answer from above. Therefore, why bother praying that the Creator will help you? You see that you are not getting any help from above.” At that time, he cannot pray. Then we need to overcome once more through faith, and believe that the Creator does hear the prayer of every mouth, and it does not matter if the person is adept and has good qualities, or to the contrary. Rather, he must overcome and believe above reason, although his reason dictates that since he has prayed many times but still received no answer from above, how can he come and pray once more? This, too, requires overcoming, meaning to exert above reason and pray that the Creator will help him overcome his view and pray.

36. Rabash. Article 24 (1991), “What Does It Mean that One Should Bear a Son and a Daughter, in the Work?”

When one sees that after all the exertions, he cannot emerge from the governance of the will to receive for himself, then he sees within reason that only the Creator can help him.

It follows that what our sages said, “Man’s inclination overcomes him every day, and were it not for the help of the Creator, he would not be able to overcome it,” he does not need to believe in this above reason, the way ordinary workers of the Creator who observe Torah and Mitzvot believe “above reason” that this is so, that the Creator helps them. Rather, those people who want to work in order to bestow, for them, it is within reason, to the point that they must believe above reason that the Creator can help them emerge from the governance of the will to receive.

37. Rabash. Article 12 (1985), “Jacob Dwelled in the Land Where His Father Had Lived”

The evil inclination in his body has the power not to let him believe in the Creator above reason by taking out every flavor. Whenever he begins to approach something spiritual, he feels that everything is dry without any moisture of life.

When the person began his work, he was told—and he believed what he was told—that the Torah is a Torah of life, as it is written, “For they are your life and the length of your days,” and as it is written (Psalms 19), “More desirable than gold, than much fine gold, and sweeter than honey and the honeycomb.”

But when one consider this and sees that the evil inclination is to blame for everything, and strongly feels the bad that it is causing him, then he feels on himself what is written (Psalms 34) “Many are the afflictions of the righteous.” That is, that verse was said about him.

At that time he looks at what the verse says afterwards, “but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” At that time he begins to cry out to the Creator to help him because he has already done everything that he could think of doing, but nothing helped, and he thinks that “Everything that you find within your power to do, that do,” was said about him. At that time comes the time of salvation—the salvation of the Creator delivering him from the evil inclination—to the extent that from this day forth the evil inclination will surrender before him and will not be able to incite him into any transgression.

38. Rabash. Assorted Notes. Article 2. “The Striking of Thoughts upon Man”

“Because of the striking of upper light, which strikes that curtain, lights sparkled from them and went through that Masach [screen]” (The Study of the Ten Sefirot, Part 3, Chapter 4, Item 6).We can interpret that striking is the thoughts that strike a person, trouble him and tire him, and he has thoughts this way and that way. And all this is because he has a Masach.If he keeps the Masach and agrees to walk on the path of the Creator, which is regarded as “mind,” as “scrutiny,” when he comprehends that it is good for him to accept faith above reason, it is considered that he causes an addition of light in the upper degree, for the joy comes specifically through the scrutiny... This means that although he does not really feel the importance of the upper one, the scrutiny is through a Masach, called “an attempt,” regarded as “concealment.”But when he overcomes the Masach and sustains it, meaning he does not cancel the Masach, this causes joy above, and then the upper one also gives him joy. That is, to the extent that he received the importance of the upper one above reason, that same measure of greatness of the upper one extends to him within reason, not less and not more.

39. Baal HaSulam. Shamati 200. “The Hizdakchut of the Masach”

The Hizdakchut [thinning/purification] of the Masach [screen], which occurs in the Partzuf, causes the departure of the light, too. And the reason is that after the Tzimtzum [restriction], the light is captured only in the Kli [vessel] of the Masach, which is the rejecting force. And this is the essence of the Kli.When that Kli departs, the light departs, too. This means that a Kli is considered faith above reason. And then the light appears. When the light appears, its nature is to thin out the Kli, to cancel the Kli of faith. Because this is so, meaning that it comes into a form of knowing in him, the light immediately departs from him. Thus, he should see to increasing the Kli of faith, meaning the Masach over the knowing, and then the abundance will not stop from him.This is the meaning of each Kli being deficient of light, that it is not filled by the light that it lacks. It follows that every place of lack becomes a place for faith. If it were filled, there would be no possibility for a Kli, a place for faith.

40. Rabash. Article 2 (1987), “The Importance of Recognition of Evil”

The work that is the preparation to enter true spirituality. That is, when he takes upon himself to believe in the importance of the Creator above reason, he must take upon himself that he wants to go specifically with faith above reason. Even though he was given the reason to see the greatness of the Creator within reason, he prefers faith above reason due to “because of the honor of the Creator, conceal the matter.”This is regarded as wanting to go above reason. Precisely then he becomes a Kli [vessel] that is fit to receive spirituality, since he has no concern at all for himself, but all his intentions are only to bestow upon the Creator. For this reason there is no longer fear that should he be given some illumination it will go into the vessels of reception, since he is always trying to exit self-love.

41. Rabash. Article 21 (1986), “Concerning Above Reason”

One must say, “Now I see that the real way is actually to go above reason. And the evidence of that is the fact that now I have been rewarded with some illumination from above, only because I have taken it upon myself to go above reason. This is why I was rewarded with the Creator bringing me a little closer to Him and giving me some awakening from above.”

And this illumination that he has now received gives him an answer to all the questions. It turns out that this testifies to the above reason. Thus, what should I do now so I will continue with above reason? There is only to reinforce and to start looking for ways to dress his work in above reason.

It turns out that by that, he did not blemish his faith at all, since he was walking in it before he was rewarded with any illumination from above, since even now he is not receiving the illumination as a foundation on which to build the structure of his work. Rather, he is taking the illumination as a testimony that he is on the right track, that he is in faith above reason. Only in this form of work does the Creator bring a person closer to Him and gives him room to draw nearer to Him, since this nearing will not let him fall into the vessels of reception, which are called “within reason,” since the Creator sees that he is trying to go only above reason.

42. Baal HaSulam. Shamati 207. “Receiving in order to Bestow”

It is only because he had had prior preparation by taking upon himself the above reason.

This means that through engagement in Dvekut [adhesion], he attached himself at the root. By this he was awarded reason, meaning that the reason he has obtained by the discernment of faith was a true revelation. It follows that he appreciates primarily the above reason, and also appreciates the reason, that he has now been rewarded with the revelation of His names to extend abundance.

This is why now he should strengthen further through reason, and take upon himself a greater above reason, as Dvekut in the root occurs primarily through faith, and this is his whole purpose. This is called “reception,” the reason he extended in order to bestow, and by which he will be able to take upon himself faith above reason to the greatest extent in quantity and quality.

43. Baal HaSulam. Shamati 205. “Wisdom Cries Out in the Streets”

“Wisdom cries out in the streets, she utters her voice in the broad places. He who is a fool, let him come here; ‘Heartless!’ she said to him.” This means that when one is awarded Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator, the Shechina [Divinity] tells him that the fact that he first had to be a fool was not because he really is so. The reason was that he was heartless. This is why we say, “And all believe that He is a God of faith.”This means that later, when we are rewarded with true Dvekut [adhesion], it is not considered being a fool, that I should say that it is above reason. Moreover, one must work and believe that one’s work is above reason even though one’s senses tell him that his work is within reason. It is to the contrary: Previously, he saw that the reason did not obligate the servitude, and then he had to work above reason and say that there is real reason in it. This means that he believes that the servitude is the actual reality.Afterward, it is the opposite: His whole work compels him, his reason. In other words, the Dvekut impels him to work. However, he believes that everything he sees within reason is all above reason. And this was not so before, when everything that is in the form of above reason is within reason.

44. Baal HaSulam. Shamati 135. “Clean and Righteous Do Not Kill”

“The clean and righteous do not kill.” A righteous is one who justifies the Creator: Whatever he feels, whether good or bad, he takes above reason. This is considered “right.” Clean refers to the cleanness of the matter, the state as he sees it. This is so because “a judge has only what his eyes see.” And if one does not understand the matter, or cannot attain the matter, he should not blur the forms as they seem to his eyes. This is considered “left,” and he should nurture both.

45. Rabash Article 4 (1989), “What Is a Flood of Water in the Work?”

The law is that the middle line is a merger of the two lines. Since the right line of Kedusha is wholeness, with respect to above reason, and the left line means that he sees within reason that he is incomplete, but quite the contrary, he is full of deficiencies.

For this reason, the middle line consists of two lines. That is, it is impossible to go above reason before he has reason that shows him the situation, how it seems to him within reason. Then it can be said that he is not looking at what the mind obligates him to do. Rather, he goes above the intellect and believes in the sages, in what the sages tell him, and does not use his own mind.

But if he has no mind and reason to tell him something, it cannot be said that he is going above reason. This is why the middle line is called “peace,” since he needs the two lines. That is, by having two opposite lines and needing both.

46. Baal HaSulam. Shamati 212. “Embrace of the Right, Embrace of the Left”

There is the embrace of the right and there is the embrace of the left, and both must be eternal. This means that when one is in the state of “right,” he should think that there is no such quality as “left” in the world. And also, when one is in the left, he should think that there is no such quality as “right” in the world.

“Right” means private Providence, and “left” means guidance of reward and punishment. Although there is reason which says that there is no such thing as right and left together, he must work above reason, meaning that reason will not stop him.

The most important is the above reason. This means that one’s whole work is measured by his work above reason. Although he later comes into within, it is nothing, since his basis is the above reason, so he always suckles from his root.

However, if, when he comes into within reason, he wants specifically to be fed within reason, at that time the light immediately departs. If he wants to extend, he must begin with above reason, as this is his whole root. Afterward, he comes to the reason of Kedusha [holiness].

47. Rabash. Assorted Notes. Article 27, “Three Lines – 1”

One should mainly walk on the right line, meaning do good deeds and feel himself as complete, and serving the king. One must believe that everything he does brings contentment to Him.

At the same time, he should dedicate time to walking on the left line, meaning to criticize, but the left should surrender before the right. That is, he walks on the left not because he wants the quality of the left, but in order to improve the right, to show that despite all his criticism and knowledge, he is going above reason, meaning in the “right,” which is called “faith.”

This is called the “middle line,” which decides between the two lines and leans toward the right. This is also called Achoraim [posterior]. Through this unification, one is later rewarded with receiving the quality of Panim [face/anterior] of the degree.

48. Rabash. Article 23 (1985), “On My Bed at Night“

This is called “his father gives the white,” as we said that wholeness is called “whiteness,” where there is no dirt. [...] In this way he receives elation from being adhered to the Whole, meaning to the Creator, and we must believe that what He gives is wholeness. Wholeness makes a man whole, making him feel whole, too. Naturally, he derives nourishment from this, so he can live and persist and then have strength to do the holy work. [...]

However, one should also correct oneself, or he will remain in the dark and will not see the true light that shines on the Kelim [vessels] that are suitable for it, called “vessels of bestowal.”

The correction of the Kelim is called Nukva, deficiency, when he works on correcting his deficiencies. This is regarded as “His mother gives the red.” That is, at that time he sees the red light, which are the barriers on his way, which prevent him from reaching the goal.

Then comes the time of prayer, since the man sees the measures of the work that he has in matters of “mind and heart,” and how he has not progressed in the work of bestowal. He also sees how his body is weak, that he does not have great powers to be able to overcome his nature. For this reason, he sees that if the Creator does not help him, he is lost, as it is written (Psalms 127), “If the Lord does not build the house, they who build it labor in it in vain.”

From those two, meaning from wholeness and deficiency, which are the “father and mother,” it turns out that the Creator is the one who helps him, giving him a soul, which is the spirit of life. And then the newborn is born.

49. Rabash. Assorted Notes. Article 128. “Exalt the Lord Our God”

“Exalt the Lord our God and bow before His holy mountain, for the Lord our God is holy.”

“Exalt” means that if one wants to know the exaltedness and greatness of the Creator, we can obtain this only through Dvekut [adhesion] and equivalence of form. Thus, what is “equivalence of form” and how does one achieve equivalence of form?

“Bow before His holy mountain.” Bowing means surrendering. It is when one lowers his reason and says that what the reason understands or does not understand, I annul and subjugate it. Before which quality do I subjugate it? Before “His holy mountain.” Har [mountain] means Hirhurim [reflections], meaning thoughts. “His holy,” for “holy” means separated from the matter. This means that he removes himself from the desire of reception. “Bow” means submitting the body, even though it disagrees, and taking upon oneself only thoughts of Kedusha [holiness]. This is the meaning “Bow before His holy mountain.”

Why must we submit ourselves to thoughts of Kedusha, meaning retire from receiving in order to receive? It is because “The Lord our God is holy,” for the Creator only bestows. For this reason, one must be in equivalence of form with the Creator, and by this we can obtain the exaltedness of the Creator. Afterward, we can achieve the attainment of the exaltedness of the Lord our God.

50. Rabash. Article 7 (1991), "What Is "Man" and What Is "Beast" in the Work".

When a person wants to work for the sake of the Creator and not for himself, then he sees that everything he does is not for the sake of the Creator but only for his own benefit. In that state, he feels that he has nothing and he is completely empty, and he can fill this place only with a pomegranate, meaning if he goes above reason, which is called “exaltedness of the Creator.” In other words, he should ask the Creator to give him the power to believe above reason in the greatness of the Creator. That is, the fact that he wants the exaltedness of the Creator does not mean that he says, “If You let me attain the exaltedness and greatness of the Creator, I will agree to work.” Rather, he wants the Creator to give him the power to believe in the greatness of the Creator, and with this he fills the emptiness in which he is in right now.

It follows that were it not for the emptiness, that is, if he did not work on the path toward achieving Dvekut, meaning in equivalence of form, called “in order to bestow,” but rather like the general public, who suffice for the practices they observe, these people do not feel themselves as empty, but as full of Mitzvot.

However, specifically those who want to achieve bestowal feel the emptiness within them and need the greatness of the Creator. They can fill this emptiness specifically with exaltedness, called “full of Mitzvot,” to the extent that they ask the Creator to give them the power to be able to go above reason, which is called “exaltedness.” In other words, they ask the Creator to give them power in exaltedness that is above reason in greatness and importance of the Creator.

51. Baal HaSulam. Shamati, Article 33, "The Lots on Yom Kippurim and with Haman"

What appears to one as things that contradict the guidance of “The Good Who Does Good” is only to compel one to draw the upper light on the contradictions, when wanting to prevail over the contradictions. Otherwise, one cannot prevail. This is called “the exaltedness of the Creator,” which one extends when having the contradictions, called Dinim [judgments].

This means that the contradictions can be annulled if one wants to overcome them, only if he extends the exaltedness of the Creator. You find that these Dinim cause the drawing of the exaltedness of the Creator. This is the meaning of what is written, “and cast his mantle upon him.”

It means that afterward he attributed the whole mantle of hair to Him, to the Creator. That is, now he saw that the Creator gave him this mantle deliberately, in order to draw the upper light on them.

However, one can only see this later, after one has been granted the light that rests on these contradictions and Dinim that he had had in the beginning. This is so because he sees that without the hair, meaning the descents, there would not be a place for the upper light to be there, as there is no light without a Kli [vessel].

For this reason, he sees that all the exaltedness of the Creator he had obtained was because of the Se’arot and the contradictions he had had. This is the meaning of “The Lord on high is mighty.” It means that the exaltedness of the Creator is awarded through the Aderet

52. Baal HaSulam. Shamati 83, "Concerning the Right Vav and the Left Vav"

In any state one is in, he can be a servant of the Creator since he does not need anything, but does everything above reason. It turns out that one does not need any Mochin with which to be the servant of the Creator.

Now we can interpret what is written, “Set up a table before me, against my enemies.” A table means, as it is written, “and sent her out of his house, and she departed his house, and went” (Deuteronomy 24:1-2). A Shulchan [table] is like VeShlacha [and sent her], meaning exit from the work.

We should interpret that even during the exits from the work, meaning in a state of decline, one still has a place to work. This means that when one prevails above reason during the declines, and says that the descents, too, were given to him from above, by this the enemies are canceled. This is so because the enemies thought that through the declines the person will reach utter lowliness and escape the campaign, but in the end the opposite occurred—the enemies were canceled.

This is the meaning of what is written, “the table that is before the Lord,” that precisely in this manner does he receive the face of the Creator. This is the meaning of subduing all the judgments, even the harshest judgments, since he assumes the burden of the kingdom of heaven at all times. That is, he always finds a place for work, as it is written that Rabbi Shimon Bar-Yochai said, “There is no place to hide from You.”

53. Rabash. Article 1 (1991), “What Is, “We Have No Other King But You,” in the Work?”

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 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, [...]

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.

54. Rabash. Assorted Notes. Article 632. “I Will Always Yearn”

“I will always yearn and I will add to all Your glory” (Psalms 71:14).

We should interpret that when one feels that he has closeness to Kedusha [holiness], and it must be that the Creator drew him near, he must praise the Creator for pulling him out of his lowliness and admitting him into a state of feeling the Kedusha. But one should not settle for this, although he should value his state, and as much as he can depict it as very important, meaning that as much as he may be able to appreciate its importance, this quality is still higher than his attainment.

Yet, he says, “I will always yearn,” meaning there are higher degrees than I can depict.

But how is this possible? After all, as much as he may depict this as important, how can something be more important than what can be depicted? About this, “I will always yearn,” meaning that I will be able to depict a more important reality than I can depict now. Naturally, “I will add to all Your glory.”

It follows that although now, for the present, I am praising You, by always yearning that I will be able to attain more understanding of Your importance, I will be able to add more glories.

55. Baal HaSulam. Shamati 129, "The Shechina in the Dust"

Suffering is primarily in a place that is above reason. And the measure of the suffering depends on the extent to which it contradicts the reason. This is called “faith above reason,” and this work gives contentment to the Creator. It follows that the reward is that by this work there is contentment to one’s Maker.

56. Rabash. Article 4 (1989), “What Is a Flood of Water in the Work?”

There is the matter of above reason. This is regarded as wanting to walk with his eyes shut, meaning that although reason and the senses do not understand what our sages tell us, they assume upon them faith in the sages and say that we must take upon ourselves faith in the sages, as it is written, “And they believed in the Lord and in His servant, Moses.” Without faith, nothing can be achieved in spirituality.

57. Rabash Article 1 (1990), “What Does “May We Be the Head and Not the Tail” Mean in the Work?”

When a person wants to understand the path of the sages, they tell us that we must follow them with our eyes shut, or dust will enter. Something unimportant is called “dust,” meaning that there cannot be greater lowliness than this.

Since man was given the reason and intellect in order to understand everything according to the intellect, and here we are told to walk by accepting faith in the sages, and a person wants to understand this path, and since as long as one is placed under the governance of the will to receive for himself, he cannot know what is good and what is bad, but must accept everything the way the sages determined for us, or dust and dirt will enter his eyes and he will not be able to move forward, but when we do not criticize the words of the sages and do not want to accept their words within reason, specifically by this we are rewarded with knowledge [reason] of Kedusha [holiness].

58. Rabash. Article 3 (1985), “The Meaning of Truth and Faith”

We were given the path of faith, which is above reason, namely not to take our sensations and reason into account, but say, as it is written, “They have eyes and see not. They have ears and hear not.” Rather, we should believe that the Creator is certainly the Overseer, and He knows what is good for me and what is not good for me. Therefore, He wants me to feel my state as I do, and for myself, I do not care how I feel myself because I want to work in order to bestow.

Therefore, the main thing is that I need to work for the Creator. And although I feel that there is no wholeness in my work, still, in the Kelim of the upper one, meaning from the perspective of the upper one, I am utterly complete, as it is written, “The cast out will not be cast out from Him.” Hence, I am satisfied with my work—that I have the privilege of serving the King even at the lowest degree. That, too, I regard as a great privilege that the Creator has allowed me to come closer to Him at least to some degree.

59. Baal HaSulam. Shamati 40, “What Is the Measure of Faith in the Rav?”

One should depict to oneself as if he has already been rewarded with whole faith in the Creator, and already feels in his organs that the Creator leads the whole world in the form of “The Good Who Does Good,” meaning that the whole world receives only good from Him.

Yet, when one looks at oneself, he sees that he is poor and indigent. In addition, when he observes the world, he sees that the entire world is tormented, each according to his degree.

One should say about that, “They have eyes but they see not.” “They” means that as long as one is in multiple authorities, called “they,” they do not see the truth. What are the multiple authorities? As long as one has two desires, even though he believes that the entire world belongs to the Creator, but something belongs to man, too.

But in truth, one must annul one’s authority before the authority of the Creator and say that one does not want to live for oneself, and the only reason that he wants to exist is in order to bring contentment to the Creator. Thus, by this one annuls his own authority completely, and then he is in the singular authority, the authority of the Creator. Only then can he see the truth, how the Creator leads the world by the quality of good and doing good.

As long as he is in multiple authorities, meaning when he still has two desires in both mind and heart, he is unable to see the truth. Instead, he must go above reason and say, “they have eyes,” but they do not see the truth.

60. Rabash. Article 30 (1988), “What to Look For in the Assembly of Friends”

the friends should primarily speak together about the greatness of the Creator, because according to the greatness of the Creator that one assumes, to that extent he naturally annuls himself before the Creator. It is as we see in nature that the small one annuls before the great one, and this has nothing to do with spirituality. Rather, this conduct applies even among secular people.

In other words, the Creator made nature this way. Thus, the friends’ discussions of the greatness of the Creator awaken a desire and yearning to annul before the Creator because he begins to feel longing and desire to bond with the Creator. And we should also remember that to the extent that the friends can appreciate the importance and greatness of the Creator, we should still go above reason, meaning that the Creator is higher than any greatness of the Creator that one can imagine.

We should say that we believe above reason that He leads the world in a benevolent guidance, and if one believes that the Creator wants only man’s best, it makes a person love the Creator until he is rewarded with “And you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.” And this is what a person must receive from the friends.

61. Baal HaSulam. Shamati 40, “What Is the Measure of Faith in the Rav?”

when one is engaged in the right, the time is right to extend upper abundance, because “the blessed adheres to the Blessed.” In other words, since one is in a state of completeness, called “blessed,” in that respect one presently has equivalence of form, since the sign of completeness is if one is in gladness. Otherwise, there is no completeness.

It is as our sages said, “The Shechina [Divinity] is present only out of gladness of a Mitzva [commandment].” The meaning is that the reason that brings him joy is the Mitzva, meaning the fact that the rav had commanded him to take the right line.

It follows that he keeps the commandment of the rav, that he was allotted a special time to walk on the right and a special time to walk on the left. Left contradicts the right, since left means when one calculates for oneself and begins to examine what he has already acquired in the work of the Creator, and he sees that he is poor and indigent. Thus, how can he be in wholeness?

Still, one goes above reason because of the commandment of the rav. It follows that all his wholeness was built on above reason, and this is called "faith".

62. Rabash. article 924. "And God Spoke to Moses”

all the arguments that a person can make are only where reason affirms it. But above reason, anything might happen, except we must increase the faith that the Creator can help above nature.

In fact, it is impossible to receive something above nature before one decides that this cannot happen within nature. Only after one despairs from nature can he ask for help from above, to be given help above nature.

63. Rabash. Article 68, “The Order of the Work”

When one believes in the delight and pleasure that exists in above reason, he comes to consciously feel, to know the evil within him. That is, he believes that the Creator imparts such delight and pleasure, and although he sees all the good above reason, he achieves recognition. That is, he feels in all the organs the power of the evil that is found in receiving for oneself, which prevents him from receiving the abundance.

It follows that faith above reason causes him to feel his enemy within reason—who obstructs him from reaching the good. This is his standard. That is, to the extent that he believes in the delight and pleasure above reason, to that extent he can come to feel the recognition of evil.

Later, sensing the bad yields the sensation of delight and pleasure, since the recognition of evil in the sensation of the organs causes him to correct the bad.

This is done primarily through prayer, when he asks the Creator to give everything in bestowal, called Dvekut [adhesion]. Through these Kelim [vessels], the goal will be revealed in open Providence, meaning that there will be no need for the concealment because there will already be Kelim that are able to receive.

64. Rabash. Assorted Notes. Article 572, “Two Labors”

when one gives all his energy and efforts for the sake of the Creator, this is his only purpose, and the world was created for this purpose, as our sages said, “The whole world was created only for this” (Berachot 6b), meaning for the fear of heaven.

Hence, when he answers the wicked that he is going above reason, which is against the intellect, the intellect can no longer ask any questions because all the questions are within reason, whereas above the intellect there is no place for questions.

Hence, when the wicked one asks the questions, he is told that now is the time when I can do my work in faith. In other words, by the very fact that you are asking a question and I reply to you that I am going with faith, and I am not giving you an intellectual answer, this is a sign for you to know that my work is with faith above reason.

It follows that now you have caused me to make a Mitzva [commandment] in that only now does it become revealed to all that the path of the Creator is only faith.

65. Rabash. Article 12 (1989), “What Is a Groom’s Meal?”

a person should accept faith above reason even though he has no feeling and no excitement about taking upon himself the burden of the kingdom of heaven. Nevertheless, he should agree with that state and say that this must be the will of the Creator that he will work and serve Him in this lowliness, so he does not mind what elation he feels about this faith because about himself, meaning his own benefit, he has no concern, but only about the benefit of the Creator. If He wants him to remain in that state, he accepts this unconditionally. This is called “unconditional surrender.”

66. Rabash. Article 4 (1991), “What Is, “The Saboteur Was in the Flood, and Was Putting to Death,” in the Work?”

lowliness is when one subdues oneself and works above reason. This is called “lowliness,” when he lowers his reason and says that his reason is worthless.

In other words, man’s reason dictates that if the Creator gives him all his needs, which the will to receive understands that it deserves, then he can love the Creator. That is, he loves Him because he satisfies all his needs. If He did not, he would not be able to lower himself and say that his reason is worthless. Rather, at that time he would depart from the Creator and say that it is not worthwhile to serve the Creator if He does not grant him his wishes. It follows that this is called “proud,” since he wants to understand the ways of the Creator, in what is He regarded as good and doing good, if the body does not get what it demands. About such a proud person the Creator says, “He and I cannot dwell in the same abode.”

But if he lowers himself and says, “I cannot understand the ways of the Creator,” and he says that what his reason dictates is worthless, but he is going above reason, this is called “lowliness,” and it was about him that the verse, “The Lord is high and the low will see” was said. He is rewarded with the Creator bringing him near Him.

67. Baal HaSulam. Shamati, Article 34, "The Advantage of a Land"

We see the difference between what the mind asserts and what only faith asserts, and what is the reason that when something is based on faith, we must constantly remember the form of the faith, otherwise he falls from his degree into a state suitable for one who is wicked. These states might happen even in a single day: One may fall from his degree many times in one day since it is impossible that faith above reason will not stop even for a moment during one day.

We must know that the reason for forgetting the faith stems from the fact that faith above the reason and the mind is against all the desires of the body. Since the desires of the body come by the nature imprinted in us, called “will to receive,” whether in the mind or in the heart, hence, the body always draws us to our nature. Only when we cling to faith does it have the power to bring us out of the bodily desires and go above reason, meaning against the body’s reason.

68. Baal HaSulam. Shamati 108, "If You Leave Me One Day, I Will Leave You Two"

Right at the entrance (entrance is a constant thing because every time he has a descent he must begin anew. This is why it is called an “entrance.” Naturally, there are many exits and many entrances) he tells his body, “Know that I want to begin to serve the Creator and my intention is only to bestow and not to receive any reward. You should not hope that you will receive anything for your efforts, but it is all in order to bestow.”

And if the body asks, “What is your benefit from this work?” meaning, “Who receives this work, that I want to exert and toil?” Or he asks more simply, “For whose sake am I working so hard?” The reply should be, “I have faith in the sages, and they said that I should believe in abstract faith, above reason, that the Creator has so commanded us, to take upon ourselves faith, that He commanded us to keep Torah and Mitzvot. And we should also believe that the Creator derives pleasure when we keep the Torah and Mitzvot with faith above reason. Also, one should be glad at the Creator’s pleasure from his work.”

Thus, there are four things here:

1. Believing in the sages, that what they said is true.

2. Believing that the Creator commanded to engage in Torah and Mitzvot only through faith above reason.

3. There is joy when the creatures keep the Torah and Mitzvot on the basis of faith.

4. One should receive delight, pleasure, and gladness from having been rewarded with pleasing the King. And the measure of the greatness and the importance of man’s work is measured by the measure of joy that one derives during his work. This depends on the measure of faith that one believes in the above.

69. Rabash. Article 23 (1990), "What Does It Mean that Moses Was Perplexed about the Birth of the Moon, in the Work?"

It is written, “Indeed You are a God who hides.” This means that the Creator is concealed from us and we were given the commandment of faith, to believe in the Creator, that He leads the world with a guidance of good and doing good.

Although when a person begins to look at creation, it is full of flaws, meaning that The Good Who Does Good is not revealed in the world, one must believe above reason that His guidance is in a manner of good and doing good. Although he does not see this, he should say, “They have eyes and see not.”

Therefore, when a person begins to take upon himself the burden of the kingdom of heaven, he immediately gets foreign thoughts that remove a person from the work of the Creator. And the more a person overcomes the thoughts, these thoughts of separation poke his mind and heart, and he thinks, “Although now I cannot overcome the foreign thoughts, I am waiting for an opportunity when I have more importance for Torah and Mitzvot, and then I will have the strength to overcome.” And in the meantime, he leaves the campaign.

Concerning faith, Baal HaSulam said that to man, it is of little importance, since man wants to understand and to know everything. Therefore, when a person takes upon himself faith, which is against reason, meaning that the reason does not attain this, the body does not want to take upon itself such work, especially since this is not just any work, but on the basis of above the intellect, he must work “with all his heart and with all his soul,” as our sages said, “even if he takes your soul.”

70. Rabash. Assorted Notes. Article 224,"The Reason for the Faith"

The reason for the faith is that there is no greater pleasure than to be rewarded with the revelation of Godliness and the instilling of the Shechina [Divinity].

In order for one to receive all this for the purpose of bestowal, there is a correction of concealment, where he engages in Torah and Mitzvot [commandments] even though he feels no pleasure. This is called “not in order to receive reward.” When he has this Kli [vessel], his eyes soon open to welcome the face of the Creator.

When a desire awakens within him, that it is worthwhile to serve the Creator for the pleasure, he soon falls into concealment. This is regarded as death, meaning that previously, he was adhered to life, and he was rewarded with it only through the power of faith. Therefore, now that he is corrected and begins to work in faith once more, he receives back his breath of life. At that time, he says, “I thank You for returning my soul with compassion.”

This is precisely when he assumes once more the work in the manner of faith above reason. When he had the concealment, he says, “Great is Your faith.” The faith is so great that through it, he receives the soul once more.

71. Rabash. Article 25 (1989),”What Is “He Who Has a Flaw Shall Not Offer [Sacrifice]” in the Work?"

Before a person comes to perform a Mitzva and bless on it, he must first take upon himself faith above reason. That is, although he still does not feel the importance of Torah and Mitzvot, he should believe above his intellect that they are very important things. Because a person is still unfit to feel the greatness of Torah and Mitzvot, since there is a correction regarded as “avoiding the bread of shame,” for which there is a concealment on the Torah and Mitzvot, for this reason we must begin with work above reason and disregard our feelings. Rather, we must say, “They have eyes and see not.” To the extent that we overcome through faith in the importance of Torah and Mitzvot, to that extent we can give thanks. That is, the blessing that a person gives to the Creator depends on the measure of importance of Torah and Mitzvot.

72. Rabash. Article 10 (1990), “What Does It Mean that Our Sages Said, “King David Did Not Have a Life,” in the Work?”

If he believes that he should receive, to that extent he feels the absence. When he feels the absence, he goes to search for the reason why he cannot correct his lack. At that time, we must believe in the words of our sages, who said that what we lack is Dvekut, which is equivalence of form, as it is written, “As He is merciful, so you are merciful.”

It follows that to the extent that he believes that the Creator bestows abundance to the whole world, to that extent he should also bestow upon the Creator. Then, when one believes that the Creator gives to the entire world, from this a person should derive the importance and greatness of the Creator, like an important person in corporeality, where we see that it is a great privilege to serve important people, and from this service itself, a person derives delight and pleasure and he does not need any other reward. It follows that to the extent of the faith in the “mind,” to that extent he can also work with faith.

73. Rabash. Article 28 (1987), “What Is Do Not Add and Do Not Take Away in the Work?”

Once man has come to feel the importance of spirituality, which is called “One should always establish the praise of the Creator,” then is the time when he must shift to the left line. He must criticize how he truly feels within reason the importance of the King, if he is truly willing to work only for the sake of the Creator.

When he sees within reason that he is bare and destitute, that state when he sees the importance of spirituality, but only above reason, that calculation can create in him deficiency and pain for being in utter lowliness. Then he can make a heartfelt prayer for what he lacks.

74. Rabash. Article 7 (1991), “What Is "'Man' and What Is 'Beast' in the Work?"”

Specifically those who want to achieve bestowal feel the emptiness within them and need the greatness of the Creator. They can fill this emptiness specifically with exaltedness, called “full of Mitzvot,” to the extent that they ask the Creator to give them the power to be able to go above reason, which is called “exaltedness.” In other words, they ask the Creator to give them power in exaltedness that is above reason in greatness and importance of the Creator. They do not want the Creator to let them attain this, since they want to subjugate themselves with unconditional surrender, but they ask for help from the Creator, and to that extent they can fill the empty place with Mitzvot.

75. Rabash. Article 19 (1990), “Why Is the Torah Called “Middle Line” in the Work? - 2”

Our sages said about that, “The Creator said, ‘I have created the evil inclination; I have created the Torah as a spice.’” It follows that the Torah that he engages in is so it will be a spice, meaning that through the Torah, he will be able to overcome the evil and walk on the path of Hesed, called “right.” In that regard, it can be said that the Torah was given on the right, named after the action. In other words, it qualifies a person to walk on the right path. This is called “the first discernment in the Torah,” where “right” is called “wholeness,” when he feels no lack at all.

The second discernment in the Torah is the left, called Hochma [wisdom]. This is considered the wisdom of the Torah. In other words, once he already has the right, which is Hesed, meaning faith above reason, and he believes in the Creator—that the Creator leads the world as The Good Who Does Good—he is rewarded with the giver of the Torah, called “the wisdom of the Torah,” as it is written, “The Torah comes out of wisdom.”

In other words, once he believes that there is the giver of the Torah, this is the time to be rewarded with the Torah. It is known that the Torah comes out of Hochma, and this discernment can be called “left,” meaning it comes after a person has been rewarded with the right, which is faith above reason, called “covered Hassadim.”

76. Rabash. Article 11 (1990), “What Placing the Hanukkah Candle on the Left Means in the Work”

We can see that the whole basis is founded entirely on faith, that only by faith is it possible to emerge from exile. We should not mind our reason, although a person is judged according to it. But when a person has the intellect to see his true state, it enables him to go above reason. In other words, one cannot go above reason without the help of the Creator. But if he sees that with reason, he can advance, he does not need His help.

And the main thing that is required of a person is to achieve his own completeness, meaning to be rewarded with NRNHY de [of] Neshama. This comes specifically by needing the Creator. Our sages said about it, “One who comes to purify is aided.” And The Zohar says, “How is he aided? With a holy soul. When one is born, he is given a soul from the side of a pure beast. If he is rewarded more, he is given Ruach,” etc.

This is why it is a great thing when a person needs the Creator to help him, since one’s salvation is in being given greater powers from above. And by receiving new powers each time, meaning a new soul, in the end he will receive the whole of the NRNHY that belong to the root of his soul. It follows that “a miracle” implies something that a person cannot obtain. That is, it is impossible for one to obtain it unless through a miracle from above. Only in this way is it called “a miracle.”

77. Rabash. Article 22 (1989), “Why Are Four Questions Asked Specifically on Passover Night?”

It follows that the Tzimtzum and concealment were made to benefit the lower one. Thus, there is no point in asking about Providence, “Why is the Creator treating us as it seems to us, for we do not see the good and we suffer in exile, poverty, and so on?” In other words, everyone complains about why the Creator behaves with undisclosed guidance toward us, that it is only good.

For this reason, it is forbidden to slander His guidance—the way He behaves with the creatures. Instead, we must believe with faith above reason that it should be precisely as we see it. And concerning what we feel, we should walk in the ways of Torah, as the sages have instructed us how to behave with all these feelings that we feel, and to say about them with faith above reason, “They have eyes and see not,”

78. Rabash. Article 6 (1990), “When Should One Use Pride in the Work?”

When a person begins the work of the Creator on the path of truth, he must take upon himself the burden of faith above reason even though all the nations of the world in his body laugh at him. He must sanctify the Creator before the gentiles in his body and say that he believes in the Creator and wants to serve Him with all his heart and soul. And even though they disagree with him, he can say that he takes upon himself to love the Creator. Even if he has no feeling when he utters it, a person should not be impressed with the organs disagreeing with his view. He does what he can do. That is, in speech and action he can do this by coercion. And although he feels nothing in it, he is still doing an awakening from below.

79. Rabash. Article 6 (1990), "When Should One Use Pride in the Work?"

When he engages in the kingdom of heaven, to take upon himself faith above reason, when the body disagrees with it and gives him many excuses that now is not the time for this, and brings him evidence from other people, who do not pay attention to this work of faith in the Creator above reason, he should say about this, “And his heart was proud in the ways of the Lord.” He does not look at anyone, but is determined that this is the path of truth and he should not look at anyone or hear what the body makes him understand—“Go and look at reputable people, who understand what is the work of the Creator.” It is about this that they said, “And his heart was proud,” to be proud that he understands better than everyone.

But when he engages in Torah and Mitzvot and sees that he has no idea what he is learning or what he is praying, at that time he must not be proud and say that if he does not understand, why should he look at the books in vain, if he does not understand the matters of Torah and Mitzvot. At that time he should be in lowliness, as our sages said, “Be very, very humble.” In other words, a person should be in lowliness and say that he is happy with whatever grip he has, since he sees how many people do not have any grip on spirituality. Therefore, here he needs to feel that he is not worthy of anything, and be happy.

80. Baal HaSulam. Shamati 59, "Concerning the Staff and the Serpent"

This is the meaning of the question, “What is it in your hand?”

A “hand” means attainment, from the words, “If a hand attains.” A “staff” means that all his attainments are built on the discernment of inferior importance, which is faith above reason.

(Faith is regarded as having inferior importance, and as lowliness. One appreciates things that clothe within reason. However, if one’s mind does not attain it, but resists one’s mind, and then one should say that faith is of superior importance to one’s mind, it follows that at that time he lowers his mind and says that what he understands within reason, that he resists the path of the Creator, faith is more important than his own mind. This is because all the concepts that contradict the path of the Creator are worthless concepts.

Rather, “They have eyes but they will see not, they have ears but they will hear not.” It means that he annuls everything he hears and sees. This is called “going above reason.” And thus it seems to a person as lowness and Katnut [smallness/infancy].

However, with the Creator, faith is not considered lowliness, since one who has no other choice but to take the path of faith considers faith as lowliness. However, the Creator could have placed His Shechina on something other than trees and rocks.

Yet, He chose this way, called faith, specifically. He must have chosen it because it is better and more successful. You find that for Him faith is not regarded as being of inferior importance. On the contrary, specifically this path has many merits, but it appears lowly in the eyes of the creatures.)

81. Baal HaSulam. Shamati 59, "Concerning the Staff and the Serpent"

The failures themselves cause one to take upon himself the discernment of a staff once more, which is the discernment of faith above reason. This is the meaning of what Moses said, “But they will not believe me.” It means that they will not want to take upon themselves the path of working in faith above reason.

Then the Creator told him, “What is it in your hand?” “A staff.” “Cast it on the ground,” and then, promptly, “it became a serpent.” It means that there is no intermediary state between the staff and the serpent. It is rather to know if one is in Kedusha or in the Sitra Achra.

It turns out that in any case, they do not have any other choice but to assume the discernment of faith above reason, called “a staff.” This staff should be in the hand; the staff should not be thrown. This is the meaning of the verse, “The staff of Aaron budded.”

It means that all the budding he had in serving the Creator was based specifically on Aaron’s staff. This means that He wanted to give us a sign to know if we are walking on the path of truth, or not. He gave us as a sign to know only the basis of the work, meaning what basis one is working on. If one’s basis is the staff, it is Kedusha, and if the basis is within reason, this is not the way to achieve Kedusha.

82. Baal HaSulam. Shamati 238, "Happy Is the Man Who Does Not Forget You and the Son of Man Who Exerts in You"

“Happy is the man who does not forget You, and the son of man who exerts in You” (a supplement for the Rosh Hashanah prayer). When one advances by way of whiteness, he should always remember that everything he has been granted is only because he took upon himself the discernment of blackness. And he should exert precisely in the “You,” by way of “and all believe that He is a God of faith,” although he currently does not see any place where he has to work in faith, since everything is revealed to him. Nevertheless, he should believe above reason that there is more room to believe by way of faith.

This is the meaning of “And Israel saw the great work… and they believed in the Lord.” Thus, even though they had been awarded the discernment of “saw,” which is seeing, they still had the strength to believe by way of faith.

And this requires great exertion; otherwise, one loses one’s degree, like Libni and Shimei. This means that if it is not so, it means that one can listen to Torah and Mitzvot precisely at a time of whiteness; it is like a condition. However, one should listen unconditionally. Hence, at a time of whiteness, one should be careful not to blemish the blackness.

83. Rabash. Article 10 (1985), "Jacob Went Out"

The exit of a righteous from the place leaves an impression refers to a person, for when the righteous is in town, it means that a person can justify Providence. Then, when he overcomes the state he is in and says, “There is no doubt that the Creator, who is good and does good, is behaving benevolently with me. However, He wants me to feel as I do.” It follows that he is justifying Providence. At that time he immediately sees the importance of the work of bestowal and above reason. This is called, “When the righteous is in town, he is its splendor, he is its brilliance, he is its majesty,” for then he (sees) all the virtues.

“When he departs from there” means that he has departed from justifying Providence and wants to see everything within reason. At that time he feels no taste in the work in order to bestow. And then, “its splendor departs, its brilliance departs, and its majesty departs,” and he falls once more into self-love. In other words, at that time he knows nothing but work that is built on a basis of within reason.

This is regarded as the “exit of the righteous from the place leaves an impression.” It means that only then, through the exit of the righteous, when he thinks, “Now that I feel good taste in the work, I no longer need to work above reason,” it causes him the exit of the righteous from the place. This creates in him an impression, so he will know how to keep himself from exiting the work of above reason from here on. As I heard from Baal HaSulam. when a person says, “Now that he has support and no longer stands between heaven and earth,” he must fall from his degree because then he flaws the discernment of above reason.

It therefore follows that precisely the departure of the degree he had leaves an impression on him so he will know how to be careful next time and will not blemish the faith above reason, but always justify Providence.

84. Baal HaSulam. Shamati 5, "Lishma Is an Awakening from Above, and Why Do We Need an Awakening from Below?"

when the thief, meaning the will to receive, does not feel any flavor or vitality in the work of accepting the burden of the kingdom of heaven, in that state, if one works with faith above reason, coercively, and the body becomes accustomed to this work against the desire of his will to receive, then he has the means by which to come to work that will be with the purpose of bringing contentment to his Maker, since the primary requirement from a person is to come to Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator through his work, which is discerned as equivalence of form, where all his actions are in order to bestow.

This is as it is written, “Then shall you delight in the Lord.” The meaning of “Then” is that first, in the beginning of his work, he did not have pleasure. Instead, his work was coercive.

But afterward, when he has already accustomed himself to work in order to bestow and not examine himself—if he is feeling a good taste in the work—but believes that he is working to bring contentment to his Maker through his work, he should believe that the Creator accepts the work of the lower ones regardless of how and how much is the form of their work. In everything, the Creator examines the intention, and this brings contentment to the Creator. Then one is rewarded with “delight in the Lord.”

Even during the work of the Creator he will feel delight and pleasure since now he really does work for the Creator because the effort he made during the coercive work qualifies him to be able to truly work for the Creator. You find that then, too, the pleasure he receives relates to the Creator, meaning specifically for the Creator.

85. Rabash. Assorted Notes. Article 431, "A Shoe for His Foot"

If a person takes off his shoe and wants to know and understand with his intellect not because he wants to walk in the ways of the external intellect, but in order to see Providence, how it is hidden from him, and that he is full of contradictions to the external mind, and he does it in order to keep the possession, meaning for his faith to be sustainable, then he will be able to do everything by the decree of above. In other words, he will be able to observe the Torah and Mitzvot [commandments] as a constitution, which is “I have given a decree and you have no permission to doubt it” or comprehended with the intellect. Instead, he should accept everything with faith above reason, meaning understand that faith contradicts reason.

If he has no reason that will understand otherwise, it is not regarded as “against reason,” but rather this, too, is regarded as “within reason.” But when he takes off the shoe and spies there to see what the intellect has to say about such places where the intellect sees otherwise than faith, then faith lies over the “against reason.”

Yet, this is called “simple faith,” for only simple faith obligates him to be a servant of the Creator and not the intellect. It follows that he took off his shoe only to observe the faith and to be certain that all his work is only because he works because of the decree from above, called “constitution,” and this brings him eternal life.

86. Rabash. Assorted Notes. Article 572, "Two Labors"

The order of one’s work in Torah and Mitzvot [commandments] when he wants to work for the sake of the Creator is that one must fight and defeat the evil inclination. That is, it is human nature to toil when there is self-benefit.But when he sees that no self-benefit will emerge from this work, he cannot work. Instead, he complains and asks, “What is this work for you?” meaning what will you gain from exerting?

When a person overcomes it and says that he wants to work against nature and bestow upon the Creator, the evil inclination comes with a different argument, asking the question of wicked Pharaoh, “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice?” It is possible to work for the sake of others only where I know that the other receives the labor.

However, when he has two labors, 1) He must overcome and go against nature, and work not for his own benefit but for the benefit of others, for the sake of the Creator. 2) He must believe that the Creator receives his labor. These two questions are the main ones in the argument of the wicked one. The rest of the questions that come to a person are merely offspring of the two above questions.

It is possible to overcome these questions only by the power of faith, which is above reason. One must reply to the wicked one that from the perspective of the intellect, it makes sense to ask what he is asking. But above the intellect, in faith, when he believes in the words of the sages, this

is the only way that is for the sake of the Creator. That is, when one gives all his energy and efforts for the sake of the Creator, this is his only purpose, and the world was created for this

purpose, as our sages said, “The whole world was created only for this” (Berachot 6b), meaning for the fear of heaven.Hence, when he answers the wicked that he is going above reason, which is against the intellect, the intellect can no longer ask any questions because all the questions are within reason, whereas above the intellect there is no place for questions.

87. Baal HaSulam. Shamati 41. “What Is Greatness and Smallness in Faith”
Do not think that the light of faith is something small, since greatness and smallness depend only on the receivers. When one does not work on the path of truth, he thinks that he has too much faith, and with the amount of faith he has, he can dis­pense to several people, and then they will be fearing and whole. However, one who wants to serve the Creator in truth, and constantly examines himself, if he is willing to work devotedly “and with all your heart,” he sees that he is always deficient in faith, meaning that he is always short of it. Only when one has faith can one feel that he is always seated before the King. When one feels the greatness of the King, one can discover the love in two ways: in a good way, and in a way of harsh judgments. Hence, the one who seeks the truth is the one who needs the light of faith. If such a person hears or sees some way to obtain the light of faith, he is happy as though he has found a great fortune.

88. Rabash. Assorted Notes. Article 794, “The Place of Attainment”

GAR means mind, where it should be only by faith. We must believe that this was His will. VAK means “heart,” meaning an impression in the heart, and here, it is apparent in one’s quality of love and fear. This should be with clear attainment, meaning that the impression should be revealed in him, and not by faith. However, to the extent that the impression is felt in the heart, so is the measure of one’s attainment. Here it is a commandment to expand his feelings. Conversely, in the mind, his greatness depends on the extent to which he can work in the manner of above reason.

It follows that they are two opposite things. If his mind is above reason, and the impression he feels in the heart is in the mind, this is called Gadlut [greatness/adulthood]. That is, on one hand, it is above attainment, yet it is felt in the heArticle The measure of Gadlut depends on this, on the measure of oppositeness between mind and heart, for then one must overcome above reason, and the heart is precisely within reason, meaning in the feeling.

89. Rabash. Article 28 (1990),“What Is, “Warn the Great about the Small,” in the Work”

And it is as it is written, “truth and faith,” meaning that for his faith to be true, it is specifically like this depiction, that he must believe in the measure of the greatness of the faith as though he saw it, that he was believing with his eyes. In other words, to the same extent that he was inspired when he saw, so should be his excitement when he does not see, but only believes that this is so. This is why it is called “faith in the path of truth.” That is, his faith is true as though he knew this. This is called “true faith,” or as it is written, “truth and faith.”

And since the whole basis should be built on faith, and at the same time we were given intellect and reason to understand everything with the intellect we have, it follows that faith is against our nature, for we can follow the intellect and not be stupid, doing things mindlessly. It follows that on one hand, we teach a person to walk according to the intellect and behave this way with one another, but when a person begins to observe Torah and Mitzvot, he is told that although he should follow the intellect, between man and the Creator we were given faith. That is, we must believe in the sages and follow this path, although it contradicts the intellect, as it is written, “And they believed in the Lord, and in his servant Moses.” In other words, we must believe what the sages said to us and not look at our intellect. But since this contradicts our reason, we have ups and downs. That is, at times we can believe the words of the sages and depict before us the depiction of truth and faith, meaning that his faith is truly faith, namely that there is no intellect there but everything is against our reason, what we understand. This is why it is called “true faith” or “simple faith,” since there is nothing to understand there but everything is above reason.

90. Baal HaSulam. Shamati 22, "Torah Lishma"

Learning should bring one only faith, and faith is called one Mitzva [commandment], which sentences the whole world to merit.

Faith is called “doing” because normally when one does something, there must first be a reason that makes him do within reason. It is like the correlation between the mind and the action.

However, when something is above reason, when the reason does not let him do that thing, but to the contrary, we must say that there is no reason in this act, but only an act. This is the meaning of “If one performs one Mitzva, happy is he for he has sentenced himself, etc., to the side of merit.” This is the meaning of “Great is the learning that leads to action,” meaning an act without reason, called “above reason.”

91. Baal HaSulam. Shamati 34, "The Advantage of a Land"

Everything that appears to our eyes is but what the Creator wants us to attain the way we do, since they are ways by which to achieve the complete goal.

Yet, it is not so simple to merit adhesion with the Creator. It requires great effort and exertion to acquire the sensation and feeling of delight and pleasure. Before this, one must justify Providence, believe above reason that the Creator behaves with the creatures in a manner of good and doing good, and say, “They have eyes but they see not.”

Our sages say, “Habakkuk came and ascribed them to one,” as it is written, “The righteous shall live by his faith.” It means that one need not engage in details, but concentrate his entire work on a single point, a rule, which is faith in the Creator. This is what he should pray for, meaning for the Creator to help him to be able to go with faith above reason. There is power in the faith: Through it, one comes to hate the separation. This is considered that faith indirectly makes him hate the separation.

92. Baal HaSulam. Shamati 30, "The Most Important Is to Want Only to Bestow”

The power of faith is sufficient for one to work in the manner of bestowal, meaning that he can believe that the Creator accepts his work, even though his work is not so important in one’s eyes. Nevertheless, the Creator accepts everything. If one attributes the work to Him, He welcomes and wants all the works, however they are.

Thus, if one wants to use faith in a manner of reception, then the faith is not enough for him. This means that at that time he has doubts in the faith. The reason is that reception is not the truth, meaning in fact, one has nothing from the work; only the Creator will have from his work.

Therefore, one’s doubts are true. In other words, these foreign thoughts that come up in his mind are true arguments. But if one wants to use faith to walk in ways of bestowal, he will certainly have no doubts in the faith. If one has doubts, he must know that he probably does not want to walk in a manner of bestowal, since for bestowal, faith is enough.

93. Baal HaSulam. Shamati 34, "The Advantage of a Land"

We see that there is a great difference between faith, seeing, and knowing. Something that can be seen and known, if the mind asserts that it is worthwhile to do that thing and he decides on it once, that decision is enough regarding that thing that he decided on. In other words, he executes according to how he had decided. This is so because the mind accompanies him in every single act so as not to break what the mind had told him, and lets him understand by one hundred percent, to the extent that the mind brought him to the decision he has reached.

However, faith is a matter of potential agreement. In other words, he overpowers the mind and says that it is indeed worthwhile to work as faith asserts to work—above reason. Hence, faith above reason is useful only during the act, when he believes. Only then is he willing to exert above reason in the work.

Conversely, when he leaves faith for but a moment, meaning when faith weakens for a brief moment, he immediately ceases the Torah and the work. It does not help him that a short while ago he took upon himself the burden of faith above reason.

94. Baal HaSulam. Shamati 86, "And They Built Arei Miskenot"

There is a great rule we must know. Our work, which was given to us to be based on faith above reason, is not because we are unworthy of a high degree. Hence, this was given to us so as to take it all in a Kli [vessel] of faith. It appears to us as ignominy and worthlessness, and we are anxious for the time we can rid ourselves of this burden called “faith above reason.” However, it is a great and very important degree, whose exaltedness is immeasurable.

The reason it appears to us as ignominy is because of the will to receive in us. We must discern a Rosh [head] and a Guf [body] in the will to receive. The Rosh is called “knowing,” and the Guf is called “receiving.” Because of this, we consider anything that is against knowing as low and beastly.

Now we can interpret what Abraham the Patriarch asked of the Creator: “How will I know that I will inherit it?” For how will they be able to accept the burden of faith, since it is against reason, and who can go against reason? Thus, how will they come to be granted the light of faith, since perfection depends on this alone?

The Creator answered him about this: “Know for certain, etc., that they will be in exile.”

95. Baal HaSulam. Shamati 34, "The Advantage of a Land"

Before one acquires vessels of bestowal, called Dvekut [adhesion], faith cannot be in him on a permanent basis. When faith does not shine for him, he sees that he is in the lowest possible state, and it all comes to him because of the disparity of form, which is the will to receive for himself. This separation causes him all the torments, ruins all the buildings and all the efforts he had put into the work.

He sees that the minute he loses faith, he is in a worse state than when he started on the path of work in bestowal. In this way, one acquires hatred for the separation since he immediately begins to feel torments in himself and in the entire world. It becomes hard for him to justify His Providence over the creatures, that it is in the form of good and doing good. At that time, he feels that the whole world has grown dark on him and he has nothing from which to derive joy.

Hence, every time he begins to correct the flaw of slandering Providence, he receives hatred for the separation. Through the hatred he feels in the separation, he comes to love Dvekut. In other words, to the extent that he suffers during the separation, so he draws nearer to Dvekut with the Creator.

96. Baal HaSulam. Shamati 34, "The Advantage of a Land"

Thus, by the torment one feels, he is compelled to slander. Hence, when he asks of the Creator to impart him the power of faith and to be rewarded with the quality of good and doing good, it is not because he wants to receive good so as to delight himself. Rather, it is so he will not slander; this is what pains him. For himself, he wants to believe above reason that the Creator leads the world in a manner of good and doing good, and he wants his faith to settle in the sensation as though it is within reason.

Therefore, when he practices Torah and Mitzvot, he wants to extend the light of the Creator not for his own benefit, but since he cannot bear not being able to justify His guidance, that it is in a manner of good and doing good. It pains him that he desecrates the name of the Creator, whose name is The Good Who Does Good, and his body claims otherwise.

This is all that pains him since by being in a state of separation, he cannot justify His guidance. This is considered hating the state of separation. And when he feels this suffering, the Creator hears his prayer, brings him near Him, and he is rewarded with Dvekut, for the pains that he feels from the separation make him be rewarded with Dvekut; and then it is said, “As the advantage of the light from within the darkness.”

This is the meaning of “The advantage of a land in everything.” Land is creation; “in everything” means that by the advantage, meaning when we see the difference between the state of separation and the state of Dvekut, through it we are granted Dvekut with the everything, since the Creator is called “the root of everything.”

97. Baal HaSulam. Shamati 86, "And They Built Arei Miskenot"

Why wicked remain after the slaughtering of the evil inclination; it is so that they will become dust under the feet of the righteous. If no wicked would remain, there would not be anyone to show this great thing, that the path of faith is not because of conditional love. That is, it is not because of the evil inclination that we should follow the path of faith, but this is unconditional love, since now there is no longer any evil inclination, and still, only through faith can we attain Dvekut with the Creator.

I heard on another occasion: The reason we need faith specifically is the pride within us, for then it is difficult for us to accept faith. This means that although faith is an exalted and wonderful degree, which the lower one cannot attain and understand its preciousness and sublimity, it is only because of our pride, meaning the will to receive. We imagine it as low and beastly, and for this reason we were given the evil person.

And I heard on another occasion: We see that when we do not want to accept faith, we fall from our state. We rise and fall each time until we resolve that we have no other choice but to set faith permanently. This was in order to receive faith, and this is “And they built Arei Miskenot” (for Israel), for Pharaoh.

98. Baal HaSulam. Shamati 86, "And They Built Arei Miskenot"

“And they built Arei Miskenot” (to Israel), and to Pharaoh, Pithom and Raamses. This is because all the work of Israel fell into the Klipot, and they saw no blessing in their work.

When they prevailed in their work in faith and bestowal, they did see fertility. And the moment they fell into knowing and receiving, they fell into the hands of the Klipa of Pharaoh. Finally, they came to a determined resolution that the work must be in faith above reason and in bestowal.

However, they saw that they were unable to come out of Pharaoh’s power by themselves. This is why it is written, “And the children of Israel sighed from the work,” since they feared that they might stay in exile forever. Then, “their cry came up unto God,” and they were rewarded with exiting from the exile in Egypt.

99. Baal HaSulam. Shamati 215, "Concerning Faith"

Faith, specifically, is pure work since the will to receive does not participate in this work. Moreover, the will to receive resists it. The nature of that desire is only to work in a place that it sees and knows. But above reason is not so. Hence, in this manner the Dvekut [adhesion] can be complete, since there is an element of equivalence here, meaning it is actually to bestow.

Therefore, when this basis is fixed and exists in him, even when receiving good influences, he considers it an Atreia [Aramaic: warning], which, in Gematria, is Torah. And there should be fear with this Torah, meaning he should see that he does not receive any support or assistance from the Torah, but from faith. And even when he already considers it superfluous because he is already receiving from the quality of “a pleasant land,” he should believe that this is the truth. This is the meaning of “And all believe that He is a God of faith,” since specifically through faith can he maintain the degree.

100. Baal HaSulam. Shamati 214, "Known in the Gates"

It is written, “Let the field exult, and all that is in it; then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy.” The difference between a field and a wood is that the field bears fruit and woods are infertile trees, which do not bear fruit.

This means that a field is discerned as Malchut, which is discerned as acceptance of the burden of the kingdom of heaven, which is faith above reason.

But what is the measure of the faith? This has a measurement, meaning it should fill to the very same extent as the knowledge. Then, it will be called “A field that the Lord has blessed,” meaning bearing fruit. This is the only way by which it is possible to adhere to Him since it places no limits on him because it is above reason.

Knowledge, however, is limited. The measure of the greatness is according to the measure of the knowledge. And this is called “Another God is sterile and does not bear.” This is why it is called “a wood.” However, in any case, both are called “edges.” But there should be a discernment of the middle pillar, meaning that he needs knowledge, too, but on condition that he does not spoil the faith above reason.

Yet, if he works with knowledge a little better than with faith, he immediately loses everything. Instead, it should be to him without any difference. Then, “The field will exult, etc., the trees of the wood will sing for joy,” for then there is correction even for “another God,” discerned as the “wood,” because he will be strengthened by faith.

101. Rabash. Article 21 (1989), What Is, "A Drunken Man Must Not Pray," in the Work?

We see that in order to have fuel to work in order to bestow and not receive any reward, but the work itself will be the reward, we must believe in Him, meaning believe in His greatness. We must make great efforts to obtain faith in the greatness of the Creator. Without faith in the greatness of the Creator, there is no power to work in order to bestow. That is, precisely when we feel the greatness of the Creator, a person is ready to work without any reward.

Instead, the work itself is the reward, since serving a great King is more valuable to him than any fortune in the world, compared to this service, that the Creator permits him to come in and serve Him. Hence, we must focus all our thoughts on how to come to feel the greatness of the Creator, and then everything follows that point.

102. Rabash. Article 21 (1989), "What Is, “A Drunken Man Must Not Pray, in the Work?"

Action is called “right,” Hesed, and he need not understand with his knowledge and intellect that it is worthwhile to do the holy work in order to bestow. Instead, he can go above reason, although the reason comes to him with Pharaoh’s questions, who asks, “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice,” or the wicked man’s question, who asks, “What is this work for you?” To this he replies to them that he is going above reason. This is called “an act,” since he does not answer them with wisdom and intellect. Rather, he answers them that he is working in practice, and not in theory, and this is all of his joy, that he maintains faith above reason.

Afterward, when he is rewarded with Hochma, he does not want to use the Hochma as support, and say, “Now I no longer need faith because I have the intellect as a basis.” This is called “His knowledge is more than his actions.” However, he receives the Hochma because the Creator wants him to receive. He receives, but not for his own sake.

If he wants to receive Hochma more than his actions, this is called “drunk” and his prayer is an abomination. Thus, everything should be with reason, which is the middle line, so there is no more left than right.

103. Rabash. Article 23 (1989), "What Is, If He Swallows the Bitter Herb, He Will Not Come Out, in the Work?"

When he begins to overcome, he must believe in the sages, who said, “Man must say, ‘If I am not for me, who is for me?’” In other words, a person must toil and achieve the goal by himself. When he sees that he cannot overcome and exert, he must believe that a prayer helps, as it is written, “For You hear the prayer of every mouth,” although he sees no change when he prays for the Creator to help him. Thus, here, too, there is the matter of above reason. However, the general order is to begin with faith, then labor, and then prayer.

It follows that the most important is faith, since with it we must work in everything we do. That is, the basis of all the Kelim with which one works is faith. This is why the light that is revealed is called “light of faith,” after the Kli. This Kli is built on the basis of faith in the sages and faith in the Creator, as it is written, “And they believed in the Lord and in His servant, Moses.”

104. Rabash. Assorted Notes. Article 433, "The Lord Your God Was Unwilling to Listen"

“The Lord your God turned the curse into a blessing for you.” That is, of all the slandering that it slanders through the complaints and grievances, when it overcomes the complaints by going above reason, they cause him to be rewarded with faith above reason. Otherwise, he would walk in the path of the Creator within reason, but the real Kli [vessel] to be rewarded with the light of the Creator is specifically above rhyme and reason, and this Kli is called a Kli of bestowal.

Conversely, within reason, it is called “a Kli of reception,” and on that Kli there was the Tzimtzum [restriction]. It follows that by wanting to be rewarded with “the Lord will be your God,” and not other gods, he “was unwilling to listen” whatsoever. That is, he says to it, “I do not want to hear what you are saying.” By this, the Creator turns the curse into a blessing.

105. Rabash. Article 31 (1989), "What Is the Prohibition to Teach Torah to Idol-Worshippers in the Work?"

Baal HaSulam said about this that we must believe that this path of faith above reason, and also the fact that we must work for Him and not for our own sake, is not because the Creator wants all those things for His own sake. Rather, it is all for man’s sake. In other words, the Creator’s desire to give to the created beings delight and pleasure, and to have in this complete delight, meaning that they will not to feel any shame while receiving the delight, He has given us advice: to work for Him. By this we will be able to receive delight and pleasure and will not feel any unpleasantness while receiving the delight.

For this reason, in order not to feel shame, we were given another thing, called “faith above reason.” “If Providence were revealed,” as he says in the introduction, “it would be utterly impossible to do anything for the sake of the Creator. Rather, everything would have to be for one’s own sake”.

106. Baal HaSulam. Shamati 86, "And They Built Arei Miskenot"

Before they saw the situation—that they are in the hands of the Klipot, and were hurting and afraid that they would remain there forever—they had no need for the Creator’s help from vessels of reception, if they do not feel the shortcoming and detriment caused by them, that this is all that obstructs them from adhering to the Creator. This is because otherwise one has a higher regard for work in the form of knowledge and reception, and faith is considered lowliness. They prefer knowledge and reception since this is what man’s exterior mind necessitates.

Hence, they were given the exile, to feel that they do not progress in nearing the Creator, and all their work sinks in the Klipa of Egypt. Finally, they saw that they had no other choice but to take upon themselves the work of lowliness, which is faith above reason, and yearn for bestowal. Otherwise, they feel that they are in the domain of the Sitra Achra [other side].

It turns out that the faith that they took upon themselves was because they saw that otherwise they would have no counsel, and hence agreed to a work of lowliness.

107. Rabash. Article 1 (1989), "What Is the Measure of Repentanc?"

When a person is told he must believe above reason that Providence is good and does good, he says, “I want to see that this is so.” But to believe is against the understanding. The understanding says that what you see is true, and what you do not see, how can you tell if it is true? When he is told he must believe, he says, “How do you know that what you believe is true?” This is the stumbling block on which people fail.

It follows that the stone on which we fail is only the lack of faith. When a person begins to walk on the path of the work of bestowal, he complains to the Creator, “Why have You made the concealment of Your face to the point that we cannot overcome the concealment that the Creator has placed, so we can overcome those two things—mind and heart?”

108. Baal HaSulam. Shamati 112, "The Three Angels"

Abraham’s cattle was for the purpose of increasing the quality of Abraham—faith. This means that in this manner he took for himself greater forces to go above reason, since he saw that specifically in this way of faith above reason, one is rewarded with all the possessions.

It follows that the reason he wanted the possessions was that these possessions would testify to the way, called “faith above reason,” which is a true path. The evidence of this is that since he is given spiritual possessions from above, through the possessions, he strains to go only by way of faith above reason. But he does not want the spiritual possessions because they are great degrees and attainments.

This means that it is not that he believes in the Creator in order to achieve great attainments through faith. Rather, he needs great attainments so as to know that he is treading a true path. Thus, after all the Gadlut, he wants specifically to walk in the path of faith, since through it he sees that he is doing something.

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