CHAPTER 23

 

“With all of the above (chapters 20-22) we can properly understand the words of the Zohar (Kabbalah) that God and his Torah are one and as it states elsewhere (in Kabbalah) the 248 limbs of God are the 248 Mitzvos – this alludes to the fact that this is God’s innermost desire (namely the fulfillment of these commandments) and they are in fact the cause of the world’s creation.”

 

“Just as the soul fills the body, as we see that immediately when a person desires to move his hand or foot they will react, so they are only like a clothing which also moves automatically based on the will of the wearer, similarly this world is sustained through the will of God and reacts in direct proportion to the Jews fulfilling the Torah and Mitzvos.”

 

“Similarly the Godly will enclothed in the fulfillment of Mitzvos manifests direct Godly light when they are performed.”

 

“Likewise the physical body doing the physical Mitzvah – for example the hand giving charity – as it does so in the fulfillment of God’s innermost will, at that moment it becomes the clothing that God himself is wearing (i.e. Godliness manifests within that hand.”)

 

“Likewise the feet that go to do a Mitzvah, the mouth that speaks words of Torah, and the mind that thinks thoughts of reverence and love for God based on his greatness – they become like a garment wearing God within them at that time.”

 

“This is the meaning that our sages describe the Avos (the Jewish forefathers) as the Merkahvah (the vehicle of God) for their limbs, heart and mind were constantly only preoccupied with fulfilling God’s will their entire life (which would literally make them into the clothing, the car, that God himself is driving, having removed their independent will from their own clothing, car, their body mind and speech.)

 

“Though the actions are a Merkavah, garment, for God but the souls thought and speech in study of Torah are not garments rather like two candles become one, they merge seamlessly.

 

This applies certainly as well to the Godly soul itself, that as God is one with his Torah (and merges with the Godly soul he creates) hence they become God Himself not like the Mitzvos of action which merely become the vehicle of God’s expression.”

 

“Now though God of course unites in the higher worlds, nonetheless, the unity that God unites with the Godly soul and its garments of Torah thought and speech, are infinitely superior to the light shining in the higher worlds.

 

The reason for this is because, as the higher worlds perceive Godliness, if it were the whole God that were to unite with them (not just rays of light,) it would be too intense for them to perceive, whereas, we who do not perceive the Godly unity, can thus get the whole God (called Atzmus Umehus, God Himself – His essence and very being.”)

 

“Now we can understand how the loftiness of Torah study, supersedes all the Mitzvos, even prayer which has incredibly lofty Yichudim (union of God in higher worlds, for in the end of the day, the ultimate unity with God, is specifically found in Torah study as mentioned.”)

 

“Now an intellectual person can draw upon himself a tremendous reverence for Torah study, for in it he unites with God himself uniting both his thought and speech with God, a unity which even the most lofty soul in the highest spiritual realms cannot receive (as mentioned before.”)

 

“Now we can comprehend the verse “God has commanded you all these laws so you shall fear him” for it is the previous understanding (of the incredible infinite union with God himself that occurs when we study Torah, which leads one to associate the study of the laws of Torah with an infinite reverence for God whom shall unite with you when you study.”)

 

CHAPTER 24

 

“The side of unholiness is the inverse mirror of the side of holiness, hence the 365 prohibitions of the Torah are like the Kelipas, called idolatry, being against the will and desire of God.”

 

“The animal soul and its three garments it puts itself into mainly the prohibitions of the 365 ‘don’t do’ (prohibitions) of the Torah are in fact at such times lower than the sitrah achara the side of unholiness.

 

The reason being is for they are not enclothed in a course body nor do they perceive a reality devoid of God (for though they are called idolatry but they do recognize that God is the supreme, as Billam (a prophet from Kelipah said) I cannot contradict the will of God) hence a human being who goes against God is denying the unity and oneness of God (for otherwise, being cognizant of God’s omnipresence, no one would sin) and in this sense he is far lower than the Kelipos who is cognizant at least of Divinity.”

 

“When man sins the Kelipah conceal truth of God’s omnipresence from him.

 

For example even a woman who doesn’t have strength of character and hence will commit adultery she too would give her very life for God.

 

Certainly it should be far easier to withhold from a momentary pleasure than God forbid having to give ones life.”

 

“When mans sins God forbid, at such a time he is lower than the Kelipos and the non-kosher animals that come from them – even lower than the mosquito who is the lowest Kelipah for it is solely a taker, and gives nothing, (for the hallmark of holiness is giving and Kelipah, taking,) for in the end of the day every creature even the animal and certainly the Kelipos all fulfill the will of God.

 

And though they may not be aware of God’s will, their supernal source is, which is why an animal will never attack a human being unless he appears to him as an animal (as the Zohar teaches, why the lions in the den where Daniel was put were like pussycats to him.)

 

As such, a human sinning unfortunately is taking the God within his Godly soul and lowering it into the Kelipos which literally would be like taking the face a king and pushing it into a cesspool and can there be a greater embarrassment than this.

 

However, the Godly soul itself and the animal soul can always return out of the Kelipah and back into Holiness at any time a person decides to change directions.”

 

CHAPTER 25

 

“Now we have a better understanding of the word, it is very easy for a Jew to fulfill all of the Torah and Mitzvos. For at any given moment it is very easy for a Jew to overpower the foolishness of the Kelipah and its concealment of the truth (namely its foolishness that one can sin without removing oneself from God and that Gods isn’t omnipresent which it conceals this truth from the human mind) by reminding oneself of one’s innate hidden love for God.”

 

“This is the word in your heart (in the original verse, it is very easy for in your mouth and in your heart to do it) for in your heart not only includes, your love of God (hence motivating the 248 positive commandments) but also your fear of God; for every Jew innately desires to remain united with God and every sin removes one from God so to speak, this being the case, one only needs to remind oneself of one’s desire to remain united with God, and if one would be willing to give up their life due to this desire, then to refrain from a small physical pleasure is no big deal at all.”

 

“Now though a person may surmise, at least I can repent after my sinning (so I will get the best of both worlds) this too one easily overcomes, for a person would give their life to not separate from God even for a moment – though one certainly can repent, even for idol worship, if so, should I not be able to withhold a small temptation in favor of listening to God.

 

And the same applies to motivate oneself to do more good which the Yezter Hara from the side of earth, laziness, compels one to not exert extra effort in prayer, Torah study and cools one off from being very charitable, one need only think “I would be willing to God forbid suffer great torture just to not be removed from God for but a single moment, if God forbid someone wanted to compel me to worship an idol or change religions and the like, if so, to remain connected to God through doing more good, which is the corollary of not getting disconnected should certainly be a joyful rewarding experience.”

 

“When one does do good, the inner face of God’s light unites with the person’s Godly and animal soul, in fact with man’s three garments of thoughts, speech, and actions as mentioned above.”

 

“We can now also get whey Mosses told the Jewish people to read Shemah twice daily, when they were about to enter into Israel.

 

Though the Shema speaks about having sacrifice for God (the meditation to think, when saying Shemah) nonetheless God had already promised them a victory, so why motivate self sacrifice?

 

But as we have explained, the reminder that one is technically prepared to sacrifice oneself for God is the relative meditation, that if I can do something so difficult how much more so a simple extra Mitzvah or refrain from a temporary pleasure.”

 

CHAPTER 26

 

“Another very important principle for the Benoinei is as follows, that just as in a wrestling match it is not necessarily the strongest person who will win for if the strongest person is sad or lethargic he won’t put up a good fight and an easier weaker fighter may beat him.

 

Similarly, one cannot beat the Yetzer Hara (though one is naturally stronger, for the mind can rule the heart especially through all the methods mentioned in the previous chapters) if one is lethargic stemming from sadness or dullness (feeling empty and lethargic) or through being lazy (for then the Yetzer Hara will easily beat you, the stronger opponent) rather one must have alacrity (Zrizzus, to be alert) which comes from happiness, joy and a heart free from all and any worries.”

 

“In Judaism a cardinal principle is that we must serve God joyfully.”

 

“The method that one can overcome all worries even worries of health wealth and children related is to do what the sages say, Thank God for the bad as much as you thank him for the good.

 

For the bad in fact comes from a higher love of God, which is for man’s spiritual benefit.

 

This is what it states, that those who rejoice in their suffering God loves them like the strength of the sun at noon, for this refers to the times of Moshiach, for then the higher love of God will be revealed and those who can rejoice in the bad, for it comes from the deepest love of God drawing someone close (for to just give a child a credit card doesn’t mean to love him properly, specifically, when you care about his soul and withhold for his character development and self growth, that is true love) so such people will receive an extra measure of Divinity.”

 

“Regarding feeling sad over one’s spiritual failings, this too one must rid oneself of, for if one is in middle of serving (i.e. during Torah study or prayer) then this must be done out of joy and with a glad heart (hence one should never feel sad about spiritual failings then,) and even if these thoughts come during work one should realize that this is actually a ploy of the Yetzer Hara for if he can make man depressed, man then is vulnerable to seek out a quick fix and follow the Yetzer Hara’s instinctual pleasures.”

 

“Whenever you find yourself worrying about spiritual failings whether during service or whether during work etc. tell yourself “now is not the time to consider my spiritual failings.””

 

“The proper way to repent over spiritual failings is to set aside a time (mentioned elsewhere – I think during the Shema at night Ed.) and to truly contemplate how great God is and hence how bad it is to fail him, and immediately afterwards to believe that God has forgiven you (for God is all forgiving and only requests repentance) and hence one should actually draw great joy from this meditation like light is appreciated specifically after being in darkness.”