Chapter 40. Structure and Logic.

A ch.39

Torah which is studied "Not for its own However, as long as he has not restudied that His study ascends into the hechalot sake" indeed,... does not at all ascend on subject "For its own sake," his study does not and abodes which are the externalities the high level to the hechalot and abodes ascend even into the Ten Sefirot which shine of the worlds, wherein the angels of the angels of Holiness, but it remains in the worlds of Yetzirah and Assiyah. stand. below in the material world which is the dwelling place of the kelipot. From Torah studies without kavanah angels For the Sefirot are in the category of G- are created in the world of Yetzirah, whilst dliness, and in them is clothed and united from commandments performed without "What profit hath a man the light of the blessed En Sof itself, and kavanah, angels are created in the world of for all his toil which he "Without fear and love it cannot rise and Asiyah - and all the angels are possessed Eccl. 1:3 labors under the sun?": stand before G-d." of matter and form. "Even with the toil of Torah, if he does it for his own glory..." Although the Holy One, blessed be He, fills all the worlds alike, nevertheless the worlds are not all of equal rank. "Happy is he who comes here with his learning in Pesachim his hand," which means Firstly, ... the higher worlds receive the 50a radiance infinitely greater than the lower. that it was not been left behind in this world Secondly,... they receive it without as below. many "garments" and "screens" as the lower. This world is the lowest world in both aspects. The radiance that is in it is greatly contracted unto the utmost limit; hence it is corporeal and material. Even this [contracted radiance] comes in many "garments" and "screens" until it is closed in the kelipat noga, to animate all clean things in this world, including the vivifying, articulate soul in man.

The radiance and extension [Consider this animal soul] as it utters the words of It conceals and covers His of vitality from Him, may He Torah and prayer without kavanah. These are holy blessed holiness in the vivifying be blessed, is hidden in the letters... and the kelipat noga in the vivifying soul soul when it speaks idle words, many dense "garments" and constitutes no separating curtain in any degree or... in the vivifying soul of any "screens" until it is clothed concealing and covering His blessed Holiness clothed in of the other living creatures that and concealed in the them. are clean. garment of nogah.

He is the "Most Tikunei Zohar, Though there is no place hidden One of all the Tikun 57; that is void of Him. hidden," and is called Isa. 45:12 the "Hidden G-d." A This is not, however, the ch.35 case with the holy letters of the words of Torah and A Prayer, wherein, on the ch.37 contrary, the kelipat noga is converted to good and is absorbed into this Holiness. A ch.53

B In the case of prayer with kavanah ch.39 It elevates them to its level in the Ten "For its own sake," the kavanah is Nevertheless the glow of His blessed Holiness Sefirot of Yetzirah or Beriah, according clothed in the letters of the speech that is in them is in the state of tzimtzum to the to whether the kavanah is inspired by because it is their source and root, utmost limit, since the voice and speech are B intelligent or natural fear and love. since by reason and cause of it he material. speaks these letters.

There the light of the blessed En Sof, namely, the blessed Higher Will which is clothed in the letters of the Torah which he studies and in their kavanah, or This is until the era of the end in the prayer and its kavanah, or in the commandment and its kavanah, "And the glory of the of days, when the world will be shines forth and is revealed with a great and infinite brightness that cannot Lord will be revealed..." uplifted from its materiality. shine forth and be revealed at all in any manner or form as long as the letters and the commandment are still in this material world. A The essential union takes place far higher, in the Only a glow of them world of Atzilut, where the core and essence of His shines in Beriah, There [in the Ten Sefirot] shines forth and is blessed attributes are united with their Emanator, Yetzirah and Asiyah, A revealed also the supernal Union that is produced the blessed En Sof, and there is the core and in each of these by each commandment and by Torah study. essence of the Supreme Will of the blessed En worlds according to Sof. its rank. This being the union of His blessed attributes which coalesce into one another, Gevurot are sweetened by Chasadim through the Supernal Propitious Time of the blessed En Sof which shines forth and reveals itself in a manner of a great and revealed manifestation by reason of the "impulse" from below, namely, the performance of the commandment, or the occupation in Torah, wherein the Higher will of the blessed En Sof is clothed.

The soul of the person who The Higher Will that is clothed in this commandment and which is identical with the very halachah or occupies himself in the Torah word of the Torah in which he is occupied is G-dliness and light of the blessed En Sof, the Emanator, and in the commandments for He and his will are One, and by His blessed will He has caused His attributes to emanate from does not derive from Atzilut. Him, yet they are united with Him.

By the revelation of His will, which becomes manifested through this occupation with the Torah and the particular commandment they [the attributes] coalesce into one another and the Gevurot are B sweetened by Chasadim at the propitious moment. B ch.41

His head is the letter yod, and the body {That is} why the fear and love The [figure of a] bird represents Metatron. is the letter vav and the two wings are are figuratively called wings. the [two] letters hai, and so forth. Isa. 6:2 "And with twain did he fly." This refers to the world of Yetzirah which is identified with Metatron, wherein are the They who occupy themselves "bodies" of the halachot of the Mishnah. with Torah and commandments in fear and love are called His head symbolizes the intellectual "children"; otherwise they are aspects, the chochmah, binah, da'at, called fledglings that cannot fly. that is the inwardness of the halachot, the esoteric meaning and their reasons. The wings of a bird are not the essential The two wings - fear and love - refer parts of it, and its vitality does not The higher fear... is a feeling of to the higher hai, which is love, and depend on them at all..., the essential shame, which is of "The hidden the lower hai, which is the lower parts being its head and entire body, things belong to the Lord our fear, namely the yoke of the while the wings merely serve the head G-d", and it is found in the Kingdom of Heaven and the dread and body, enabling it to fly with their aid. higher wisdom, symbolizing the of G-d, like the awe one feels in the letter yod of the blessed Name. presence of a king, for example. "If its wings have been Chullin 56b removed it is kasher." This is an external and exposed fear.

The Torah and commandments are Although fear and love also form Love without service is a "This day - to do them," the essential aspect of the Higher part of the 613 commandments, "love of delights" delighting "and tomorrow" [in the Union through the manifestation of nevertheless they are called in G-d, which is of the nature world to come] - to the Higher Will that is revealed "wings", for the consummation of of the world to come and the receive one's reward. through them. love is the service out of love. receiving of reward.

Eruvin He who has not attained this dimension of 22a C savoring the nature of the world to come, but whose soul still yearns and thirsts for G-d and goes out to Him all day, yet he does not quench A his thirst with the water of the Torah that is in ch.41 front of him - such man is like one who stands in a river and cries:"Water! Water to drink!"

Surely, he who is thirsty and longs to learn will study of his "Ho, every one that thirsteth, own accord; why, then, does go ye to the waters." the prophet need to rebuke him "Ho?" Isa. 55:1 The fear and love raise them to that place where the Will, the light of the blessed En C Or even in Asyiah. Sof, and the union are revealed, namely, the worlds of Yetzirah and Beriah. {It is} in the ten Sefirot of holiness, {which is} the abode of the active commandments and also of the study of the Holy Writ.

In [the study of] Mishnah In the case of the Mishnah, the When one studies Holy Writ, [the Yichud and light of Yichud and light of the blessed the Yichud and light of the the blessed En Sof] reach En Sof are revealed in Yetzirah. blessed En Sof are diffused to Yetzirah only. from Atzilut to Asyiah.

[In the case of] Talmud - And in the case of Talmud in [the {the Yichud and light of world] of Beriah. the blessed En Sof reach} to Beriah only.

As for Kabbalah, it is not diffused at all from Atzilut to Beriah, Yetzirah and For they are all in Atziliut. Asiyah. Chapter 41. Structure and Logic. B A ch.42 A ch.40 ch.4 It is not sufficient to awaken the love alone to do Fear is the root of good, but one must at least first arouse the innate One must, however, constantly bear in mind the A "Depart from evil" and fear which lies hidden in the heart of every Jew not beginning of the service and its core and root. ch.19 love -- of "Do good". to rebel against the Supreme King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He. A A This [fear] shall manifest itself in ch.38 his heart or, at least, his mind.

He should at least contemplate in his thought on the greatness of the blessed En Sof, and "Do I not fill heaven Jer. 23:24 on His Kingship, which extends to all worlds, and earth?" both higher and lower, and that "He fills all worlds and encompasses all worlds."

On his part, he accepts His Kingdom "And, behold, G-d upon himself, that He be King over Yet He leaves both the higher and lower [worlds] and uniquely bestows His stands over him." him, to serve Him and to do His will in Kingdom upon His people Israel, in general, and upon him, in particular. all kind of servile work. Allusion to A man is obliged to Gen. 28:13 Sanhedrin ch.4 say: "For my sake He must serve in His presence Mishnah 5 was the world with awe and fear like one created." "The whole world standing before the king. is full of His glory"

Isa. 6:3 One must meditate profoundly and He should also reflect how the light of the blessed En Sof, at length on this thought according which encompasses all worlds and pervades all worlds, to the capacity of apprehension of which is identical with the Higher Will, is clothed in the letters He looks upon him his brain and thought and according and wisdom of the Torah and in the tzitzit and the A and "Searches his B to the time available to him, before phylacteries, and through his study and donning these latter ch.2 reins and heart" [to he occupies himself with Torah or a he draws over himself His blessed light, that is, over "The see] if he is serving commandment, such as prior to portion of the G-dliness from above" which is within his body, Him as is fitting. putting on his Tallit or phylacteries. that it may be absorbed and nullified in His blessed light.

Isa. 6:3 In the case of the phylacteries, [he should In such a case, even though intend] that the attributes of wisdom and after all this [contemplation] no He should use his wisdom understanding which are in his divine soul fear or dread descends upon and understanding that may be nullified and absorbed into the It is the nature him in a manifest manner in his are in his soul only for G-d attributes of wisdom and understanding of all Jewish heart, nevertheless since he alone. of the blessed En Sof, which are clothed, souls not to accepts upon himself the ש ד ק in particular, in the chapters of and rebel against Kingdom of Heaven and draws . ךאיבי יכ היהו Similarly that the attribute the blessed the fear of Him, blessed be He, of da'at that is in his soul, Holy King. over himself in his conscious which includes both thought and rational volition, And whilst putting on the tzitzit he should chesed and gevurah, i.e., and this submission is beyond bear in mind... to draw over himself His fear and love , in his heart, doubt a sincere one... blessed Kingdom, which is the Kingdom be nullified and absorbed over all worlds,... to bestow it particularly into the attribute of the The Torah he studies or the upon us through this commandment. Higher Knowledge, which {It is what} commandment he performs contains chesed and the Torah because of this submission and gevurah which is closed in "Thou shalt surely set a king over thee." demands. because of this inspired fear in and his mind, are termed "perfect עמ ש the chapters of service," like all [service] Deut. "And ye shall . עמ ש םא היהו Ex. 23:25 performed by a slave to his 17:15 serve the Lord your G-d..." master or to his king. "That he makes his heart and brain "Him shall ye subservient to Him." Deut. 13:5 serve..." If one studies or performs the Every man must be of two commandment with love alone, Orach Chaim, categories and levels, in order to cleave to Him C sec. 25, 5 namely, the category of a through His Torah or servant and that of a son. commandments, it is not termed "Service of a servant." It is not possible to attain to There is a son who is also a servant. this degree without yirah ilaah. C

"Just like the ox on which one first places a yoke in order to make it useful to the world... so too must a human being first of Zohar III, all submit to the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven... and if this submission is not found in him, holiness cannot rest on him..." p.108a

B There are two kinds of fear...

Even in the case of him who is in his mind and thought feels no fear or shame on account of the poor capacity of his soul, Such fear is termed originating in the lower degrees of the Ten Sefirot of Asiyah, He also fulfills the commandment yirah tattaah and nevertheless since he is intent to service the King, it is a of fear in that he introduces the Avot 3:9 yirat chet which complete service, for fear and service are accounted as two fear into his thought. precedes wisdom. commandments of the total of 613, and they do not deter from each other. A At this hour and moment, at any rate, ch.42 there rests oh him the fear of Heaven, at least like the fear in the presence of an ordinary mortal, even not a king, who is The higher fear is the A watching him, when he would restrain fear of shame. ch.3 himself from doing anything unbecoming in the other's eyes.

"May it be G-d's will that the fear of Heaven be upon you like the fear of a human being... for you know that when a person commits a sin, he says [to himself], 'May no one see me'..."

Berachot 28b

A

Similarly, fear alone is but one wing, and Without any fear at all... one's service cannot ascend on high with For fear and love B it does not soar on high it, although it is termed the "Service of a are two wings. ch.40 through love alone. servant."

There must also be the filial quality, in A bird cannot fly order to awaken, at least, the natural love with one wing. that is hidden in his heart, to become conscious of it in his mind at any rate, to be aware of his love of the One G-d in his thought and desire to cleave to Him, may A man should never separate He be blessed. himself from the community. It dwells and clothes itself in all worlds, This should be his kavanah when He should intend to unite and attach to animating them and giving them occupying himself with the Torah or the Him, blessed be He, the fount of the divine existence, and is that which imbues particular commandment, that his divine soul and the fount of the souls of all Israel, him with the power of speech to utter soul as well as his vivifying soul, together being the spirit of His blessed mouth, the words of Torah, or with the power with their "garments", shall cleave to Him. called by the name Shechinah. of action to perform the particular commandment. A A A ch.23 ch.35 ch.37

D Thereby the Gevurot will, of themselves, also be This union is attained through the drawing sweetened by Chasadim through the coalescence forth of the light of the blessed En Sof here "For the sake of the of the Middot and their union by means of the below by means of occupation in the Torah Union of the Holy One, revelation of the blessed Higher Will which is and the commandments wherein [the light Morning blessed be He, with revealed on high through the impulsion from below, of the En Sof] is clothed. And he should be Prayer His Shechinah, in the namely, its revelation here below in the occupation intent on drawing His blessed light over the name of all Israel." in the Torah and commandment which are His fount of his soul and of the souls of all blessed will. Israel to unite them.

The 613 commandments of the Torah are derived A from the "whiteness" of Arich Anpin, which is the ch.46 Higher Will, the source of the Chasadim. D

In order that this kavanah should be sincere in He must be "Like a son his heart, so that his heart should truly desire this who strives for the sake of Every man should habituate himself to this Yichud Elyon, there needs to be in his heart the his father and mother, kavanah. "great love" for G-d alone, to do what is gratifying whom he loves more than only to Him and not [even] for the purpose of his body and soul. satiating his own soul which thirsts for G-d.

It may not be in his heart in His heart does genuinely desire it to some small perfect and complete truth, extent, because of the natural love in every Jewish so that he should long for it heart to do whatever is the blessed Higher Will. with all his heart. This union is his true desire, namely the Higher Union in Atzilut, which is produced by the By reason of this are also united the impulsion from below, through the union of the source of Torah and commandments, This is what every member of Israel desires in very divine soul and its absorption into the light of i.e. the Holy One, blessed be He, with truth, utterly, with all his heart and all his soul, G-d which is clothed in the Torah and the source of his divine soul which is because of the natural love that is hidden in every commandments in which it occupies itself so called Shechinah. Jewish heart to cleave to G-d and not, under any that they become One in reality. circumstances, to be parted or sundered or These are the two categories separated, G-d forbid, from His blessed Unity and A B of "filling all worlds" and Oneness, even at the cost of his very life. ch.5 ch.23 "encompassing all worlds."

Occupation in the Torah and commandments and prayer is also a matter of actual surrender of the soul, as when it leaves This is [also] the whole occupation of souls in the body at the end of seventy years, for it no longer thinks of the Garden of Eden... except that there they bodily needs, but its thought is united with, and clothed in, the find delight in the apprehension of, and letters of the Torah and prayer, which are the word and absorption into, the light of G-d. thought of the blessed G-d, and they truly become one.

This is why it was ordained to recite at the beginning of the morning blessings before the prayer: "O my G-d, the soul that Thou gavest me is pure... Thou didst breathe it into me... and Thou wilt take it from me..."

In as much as Thou didst breathe it into me and Thou will take it from me, I therefore as of now hand it over All his intent in the surrender of his soul to G-d and return it to Thee to unite it with Thy Oneness,... that through Torah and prayer, to elevate the spark is through the binding of my thought with Thy thought, A of G-dliness therein back to its source, should and of my speech with Thy speech, by means of the ch.31 be solely for the purpose of bringing letters of the Torah and of prayer; and, especially, when gratification before Him, may He be blessed. one speaks to G-d in the second person, as "Blessed are Thou," and the like. This kavanah is genuinely and truly sincere in every Jewish soul "Unto Thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul." Ps. 25:1 at every season and every hour, by virtue of a natural love which is the heritage bequeathed to us from our ancestors.

With this preparedness to surrender his soul to G-d, he should begin [to recite] the morning benedictions: "Blessed are Thou..."

With this preparedness he should also begin to learn a regular Nevertheless, one needs to establish set periods for course of study immediately after prayer. reflecting on the greatness of G-d to attain intelligent fear and love, and with all that, perhaps one may succeed. Also in the course of the day, such preparation is necessary at When he studies for a number of consecutive least before he begins to study, as is known that the essential hours he should reflect on the preparedness... preparation [of intent] "for its own sake," where it is sine qua non, at least at hourly intervals. is before the beginning of the study in the case of Intermediaries.

For in each hour there is a different flow from the This is the same as writing a bill of divorce or a scroll of the Torah, higher worlds to animate those who dwell here requiring sine qua non "for their own sake," and it is sufficient that below, while the flow of vitality of the previous hour at the commencement of writing he says: "I am now about to write returns to its source... together with all the Torah for the sacred purpose of the scroll of the Law," or [in the case of and good deeds of those who dwell here below. the bill of divorce] "For him and for her...."

In each our of the twelve hours of the day, Shulchan Aruch, there rules one of the twelve combinations of Sha'ar ha-Yichud Yoreh Deah 274:1; the blessed Tetragrammaton, whilst the veha-Emunah , ch.1. Even HaEzer 131:1,8. combinations of the name A-D-N-Y rule at night. Chapter 42. Structure and Logic. A ch.41

"And now, O Israel, what doth the Lord thy G-d Deut. require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy G-d." 10:12

"Is fear then such "Yes, in the case of Moses Berachot a small thing?" it was a small thing." 33b

Each and every soul in the house of Israel contains within it He is one of the "seven shepherds" who cause vitality something of the quality of our teacher Moses, peace unto him. and G-dliness to flow to the community of Jewish souls.

In addition and beyond this [general influence to the community as a Our teacher Moses, peace unto him, is the sum of whole] there descend, in every generation, sparks from the soul of them all, and he is called "the faithful shepherd." our teacher Moses, peace unto him. {Moshe's soul} is rooted in He brings down the quality of da'at to the Da'at Elyon of the Ten the community of Israel that they may Sefirot of Atzilut, which know the Lord, each according to the are united with their capacity of his soul and its root above, blessed Emanator, for He and its nurture from the root of the soul and His Knowledge are They clothe themselves in the of our teacher Moses, peace unto him. One, and He is the body and soul of the sages of Knowledge... that generation, the "eyes" of But regarding the future [Messianic Era] it is written:"And they Taanit 24a; the congregation, to impart shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man Jer. 31:33 Num. 16:24 knowledge to the people that his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know they may know the greatness me..." of G-d and serve Him with heart and soul.

The essential thing is to immerse one's mind deeply The essence of knowledge into the greatness of G-d and fix one's thought on G- For the service of the is not the knowing alone d with all the strength and vigor of the heart and heart is according to that people should know mind, until his thought shall be bound to G-d with a the da'at. the greatness of G-d from strong and mighty bond, as it is bound to a material authors and books. thing that he sees with his physical eyes and concentrates his thought on it.

"Know thou the G-d of thy father, and serve Him with a I Chron. 28:9 perfect heart and with a willing mind."

First is the wearing of Since the soul has This capacity and this quality of the flesh, the crushing clothed itself in the attaching one's "knowledge" to G-d is A of the body and its body, it needs a great present in every soul of the house of ch.29 submission, so that it and mighty exertion, Israel by virtue of its nurture from the shall not obscure the doubled and soul of our teacher Moses, peace unto light of the soul. redoubled. him.

This is accomplished by "A body into which the means of penitential light of the soul does For it is known that reflections from the not penetrate should da'at connotes the depths of the heart. be crushed." union.

Next is the exertion of the soul, that the service "And Adam yada shall not be burdensome to it, to exert its thought Eve..." to delve into and reflect upon the greatness of G-d for along and uninterrupted period, the measure of Gen. 4:1 which is not the same for every soul. "When a man reflects that the great King, the Supreme Shulchan Aruch, There is the naturally refined soul which, immediately it King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, with Whose Orach Chaim, considers greatness of G-d, attains a fear and dread of G-d. glory the world is full, stands over him and sees his sec. I actions, he will immediately be overcome with fear..." There is a soul that is of lowly nature and origin, coming Nevertheless, by dint of forceful effort, when his thought greatly exerts from the lower gradations of the Ten Sefirot of Asiyah, itself with much vigor and toil and intense concentration, immersing in which cannot discover G-dliness by contemplation A [contemplation of] the greatness of G-d for a considerable time, there except with difficulty and forcefulness, especially if it had will certainly come to him, at any rate, the lower fear. been contaminated by the sin of youth.

For the sins interpose... ["If a man says] 'I have labored and I have found' - Megillah 6b believe him." A "If thou seekest her as silver and searches for her as for hidden treasures: Prov. 2:4-5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord."

In the manner of a man seeking a hidden treasure or the wealth buried in the depths of the earth, for which he digs with tireless toil, so must one delve with unflagging energy in B order to bring to light the treasure of the fear ch.41 of Heaven, which lies buried and concealed in the understanding of the heart of every Jewish individual, this being of a quality and level transcending the limitations of time.

In order that it should be translated into action, in the sense of "fear of sin", namely, to turn away from evil in deed, word and thought, one needs to bring it to light from the hidden depths of the understanding of the heart where it transcends time, and to place it within the realm of the actual thought that is in the brain.

[This means] immersing his thought in it for a lengthy period of time until its activity "Reflect upon three shall emerge from the potential into the things, and thou wilt Avot actual, namely, turning away from evil and not come within the "Knowing himself, as it II,1 doing good in thought, speech and act power of sin: The were, He knows all created because of G-d, Who looks and sees, Eye sees, and the things that exist by virtue hears and listens and perceives all his Ear hears..." of His true existence..." deeds and searches his reins and heart.

And although He has no bodily likeness, yet, on the contrary, The Holy One, blessed be He, knows everything is revealed and known all that befalls all created beings, "For all things to Him infinitely more than, for both higher and lower, because they come of Thee." example, through the medium of all receive their flow of life from Him. physical sight or hearing. I Chron. 29:14 Like a man who knows and feels within himself all that is happening to and being The analogy bears no "Verily also nothing experienced by each and all of his 248 similarity whatever to the that is formed is organs, such as cold and heat, feeling the object of the comparison. withheld from Thee." heat even in his toe-nails, for example, as when he is scorched by fire. Liturgy, Musaf for Their essence and substance and all that is done Rosh HaShanah to them, he knows and senses in his brain.

The Holy One, blessed be He, is truly omnipresent in the higher and lower When... each individual The human soul, even the rational The Holy One, blessed [worlds], and in reality fills the Jew, whoever he may be, and the divine, is affected by the be He, however, is not, heavens and the earth, and the ponders upon this for accidents of the body and its pain, Heaven forbid, affected whole world is truly full of his glory, some considerable time by reason of it being actually by the accidents of the and He looks and regards and each day... then fear will clothed within the vivifying soul world and its changes. searches his reins and his heart and be implanted in his heart which is clothed in the body itself. all his actions and words, and counts throughout the day. his every step. Liturgy "Thou wast the same ere When he again meditates on the world was created." this, even with a superficial C reflection, at any time or moment, he will turn away A B from evil and do good, in ch.20 ch.41 thought, speech and deed, so as not to rebel, G-d forbid, in the sight of His glory whereof the whole world is full.

B B

"But to fear the Lord thy G-d, to walk in all his ways." Deut. 10:12

For this is the fear that leads to the fulfillment of His blessed commandments through turning away from evil and doing good. A This is the lower fear. ch.43

As it applies to "Moses," that is to say, in relation to the quality of da'at that is in each divine Jewish soul, this is a minor thing.

For da'at is [the faculty] which binds the hidden understanding of the heart with that which is actually revealed in thought.

C

In the case of a mortal king, the essence of When he is asleep, fear [of him] relates to his inner nature and there is no fear of him. vitality and not to his body... and, surely,

His inner character and vitality are not He must likewise truly fear G-d when perceived by physical eyes but only It is also seen with the glance of the eye that they gazing with his physical eyes at the by the vision of the mind, through the are nullified to his blessed light by the fact that they heavens and earth and all their host physical eyes beholding his stature "prostrate" themselves every day towards the west wherein is clothed the light of the and robes, and making the beholder at the time of their setting. blessed En Sof that animates them. aware of the vitality that is clothed in them. "And the host of heaven worship Thee." Neh. 9:6 And although many garments are The Shechinah abides in the west, so Sanhedrin 91b involved in this investment, there is that their daily orbit westwards is a kind Bava Batra 25a no difference or distinction at all in of prostration and selfnullification. the fear of a mortal king, whether he be naked or robed in one or in many Even he who has never seen the king before and does not garments. recognize him at all, nevertheless when he enters the royal court and sees many honorable princes prostrating themselves before one man, there falls on him the fear and awe.

There should also be a constant The essential thing... is the [mental] training to remembrance of the dictum of the habituate one's mind and thought continuously, that Rabbis, of blessed memory, it ever remain fixed in his heart and mind, that Deut. 17:15 "Acceptance of the yoke of everything one sees with one's eyes -- the heavens Heaven," which parallels the and earth and all that is therein -- constitute the outer injunction "Thou shalt surely set a garments of the King, the Holy One, blessed be He. king over thee."

For the holy One, blessed be He, In this way he will constantly be forgoes the higher and lower aware of their inwardness and worlds and uniquely bestows His vitality. Kingdom upon us,... and we accept it. This is also implicit in the word emunah, which is a term indicating "training", to which a man habituates himself, like a This is the significance of the craftsman who trains his hands, and so obeisances in the prayer of the forth. Eighteen Benedictions, following the verbal acceptance of the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven in the recital of the Shema, whereby one accepts it once again in actual deed, with a [positive] act, and so forth. Chapter 43. Structure and Logic.

A ch.42

"Where there is no fear [of Where there is no G-d], there is no wisdom." wisdom, there is no fear.

It comprises a quality of Avot III:17 It was said concerning... yirah ilaah, "smallness" and a a fear stemming from the sense of quality of "greatness." shame, an inner fear that derives This fear is called an "external" from the inward aspects of G-dliness and "inferior" fear, because it is within the world. derived from the worlds which The latter being the are "garments" of the King, the quality of fear that has its For is [made up of A המכח Holy One, blessed be He, Who origin in contemplation the letters] ch.19 כ´´ח מ´´ה conceals and hides and clothes on the greatness of G-d. . Himself in them to animate and give them existence, that they "Chochmah comes from Job 28:12 may exist ex nihilo. That He fills all worlds, and from ayin" the earth to the heavens is a distance of 500 years,... and the "Who is wise? He who Tamid 32a distance from one heaven to the sees that which is born." next,... the feet of the "Chayyot" measure up to them all,... and Yet [this fear] is the gate and He sees how everything originates and comes into being ex similarly on the evolvement of entrance to the fulfillment of the nihilo by means of the word of G-d and the breath of His blessed all the worlds, one above the Torah and commandments. mouth. other to the topmost heights. "And all their host by the breath of His Ps. 33:6 In love, too, there are two grades -- mouth." ahavah rabbah and ahavat olam.

Ahavat olam, however, is that which comes The heavens and the earth and all their host are truly from understanding and knowledge of the nullified in reality within the word of G-d and breath of His greatness of G-d, the blessed En Sof, Who "Great love" is an mouth, and are accounted as nothing at all, as nought fills all worlds and encompasses all worlds ecstatic love, and and nothingness indeed, just as the light and brightness and before Whom everything is accounted it is "A fiery flame of the sun are nullified within the body of the sun itself. as nothing at all, like the nullity of the that rises of itself." utterance within the intelligent soul while it still remains in its thought or in the desire of Let not man regard himself as an exception to this principle. the heart. A It comes from above in His body and nefesh, and ruach and ch.20 a manner of a "gift" to B neshamah are nullified in reality in the word him who is perfect in ch.20 of G-d, Whose blessed word is unite with His A fear. thought. ch.21

"The way of a Kiddushin Job 28:28 man to search 2b "Behold the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom." for a woman." One cannot attain to this fear and wisdom except in the fulfillment of the Torah and commandments Love is called Wilst a "woman" [symbolizes] through the lower, external fear. "man" or "male". fear of G-d. As a result of such con- "He hath templation, the attribute remembered His of love that is in the loving kindness. soul will be divested of its garments. For they are all nullified in reality and are accounted as nothing at all, Ps. 98:3 compared with Him, there being no It will not clothe itself in manner of comparison or similitude A anything of pleasure or between them, G-d forbid, just as there ch.48 enjoyment, whether physical is no comparison between that which is Without a prerequisite of fear, it is impossible or spiritual, to love it, and will absolutely nought and nothing and to attain to this "great love," for this love not desire anything whatever everlasting life. originates from the realm of Atzilut, wherein in the world other than G-d are no sundering or separateness, G-d forbid. alone, the Source of the "Whom have I in heaven [but Thee]? vitality of all enjoyments. And there is nothing upon earth that I desire but Thee. My flesh and my heart yearn, O Rock of my heart..."

A Ps. 73:25- 26 A

Also he, whose soul's quality of love is not clothed at all in any physical or spiritual enjoyment, is able to kindle his soul as with burning coals and an intense fire and a flame that strives heavenwards through the contemplation.

The order of the service, which is determined by and depends on man's choice, is to begin with the fulfillment of the Torah For da'at incorporates both chasadim This quality of love sometimes and commandments through the "lower" fear in state of and gevurot, which are love and fear; precedes fear, according to the "minuteness" at least, to depart from evil and do good, so as and sometimes chasadim descend and quality of da'at which fathers it. to illuminate his divine soul with the light of the Torah and its manifest themselves first. commandments, whereupon the light of love will also shine forth upon it.

And you shalt" -- ואהבת For the word love" -- has a numerical value twice that ."light" -- אור of Therefore it is possible for a wicked and sinful person to repent by virtue Fear, too, is included of the love that is born in his heart at therein [in the love], as the time he remembers the Lord his a matter of course. G-d.

{Fear} is in a stage of "minuteness" Love is in a and "concealment", namely, the fear revealed state of sin, of rebelling against Him, G-d in his heart forbid. and mind.

Such a case is an accidental and spontaneous occurrence, or an "emergency prescription" through G-d's particular providence as the occasion requires, as happened with Rabbi Eliezer ben Durdaya.

Avodah Zarah 17b