What Is the Prohibition to Greet Before Blessing the Creator, in the Work?

Today we're reading Rabash's article from 1989 - What Is the Prohibition to Greet Before Blessing the Creator, in the Work?

Here is an excerpt -

In order to be rewarded with vessels of bestowal, there is a complete procession of work, as Baal HaSulam interpreted the matter of the three souls within man: 1) Nefesh [soul] of Kedusha, in which there is nothing to correct, 2) the Nefesh of the three impure Klipot [shells/peels], in which there is nothing to correct, as this will be corrected only at the end of correction, and 3) the Nefesh of Klipat Noga [Klipa (singular of Klipot) of Noga], which is half good and half bad. All of man’s work is in this Nefesh. If a person performs a Mitzva [commandment/good deed], this Nefesh connects to Kedusha. If he commits a transgression, this Nefesh connects to the Nefesh of the three impure Klipot. Hence, in this Nefesh [soul] he can determine between bad and good, and all the work is only in this Nefesh.

This is about our free choice in Klipat Noga - if I have an intention to bestow then I bestow for the Creator. But if I have an intention to receive for myself, then my pay is klipot. But if we're working for the Creator - that is the true source of fulfillment. Our will to receive is made up of tens of thousands of layers. So each time you correct one, another thicker layer of your will to receive is revealed - this goes on for all 125 levels till the end of correction. This is how we advance on the path. All this happens very gradually - not all at once.

People often ask Rav why doesn't the Creator show us our entire will to receive and then we'll do a correction on the whole thing at once. It's impossible - just like you can't show a four year old his entire development for the next 30 years. When he's four years old you buy him toys that suit a five year old. It's the same here. We're not shown our entire will to receive at once. Each time we work with one layer and then another is revealed.

Every day we may wake up with the best of intentions to only think good thoughts about the friends, and the Creator, etc. But someone may cut you off in traffic, and then your boss may call first thing in the morning do handle all kinds of tasks. Where are all the lofty things we spoke about in the morning lesson, such as There is None Other Beside Him? This is our life. Our nature overcomes us every day and if the Creator doesn't help us we won't be able to advance toward Him. We need to make efforts and discover each time anew that we need the Creator to advance.

We're going through the same situations over and over again but at a different level. Why? Because we can't deal with our evil nature without the Creator's help.

Question: If the Creator is hidden, how can we apply this on a daily basis?

You can't work directly with Him and that's why He created this world, for you to work with the friend. You can check the difference between how you treat your friend and how you treat the Creator - the moment you see no difference the Creator will appear. We have this biological body to connect with one another. Imagine if there was only the will to receive that wanted to take advantage of one another - there's only a will to receive. At least we have this body that allows me to come and smile - and through this body to give an example of apparently coming to bestow and connect. It goes against our nature so none of us really want to.

Most religions talks about working directly with the Creator. Some talk about doing something good for a friend and possibly meeting the Creator. But there is no method in the world that says what you do for the friend and what you do for the Creator is one and the same. Only in the wisdom of Kabbalah.

Question: The Creator is hidden from me and I don't know what I need to correct in the Klipat Noga. So how can I know if I'm working for myself or the Creator?

The Kabbalists are explaining to us in the sources how to advance. We're not just reading like you read a recipe at home. The Kabbalists instructions are very special. By reading them and wanting to be like the Kabbalists - there is a force they planted in the source - the light that reforms. We may not really understand all this Klipat Noga stuff, but it doesn't really matter. We're not trying to understand. We want to be like the Kabbalists. There is light in the sources and that brings us closer to being like them. Of course this morning you were not sitting around thinking about Klipat Noga but now you are. And all of us are thinking about Klipat Noga - we're all infecting each other with this desire. This is how the system works. I need ot understand that there's a Kabbalist here called Rabash and I want to be like him. I want to understand these things to be like the spiritual force in Him. Not just for the sake of being more intelligent.

Question: If I understood correctly for the importance of the Creator grow in my eyes, do I first need to go through a descent.

Essentially yes but you don't need to think about descents. Just like you don't think about breathing in and out. You only need to think about the Creator being important in your eyes. Suddenly you may have a situation where you're only thinking about a million dollars. The Creator attracts us through pleasure and suffering. We have no choice in the matter. We all get what we need to reach the end of correction. And what you call a descent today may seem the opposite to you tomorrow - it's just part of the path. So that's why we don't talk about descents.

Our source for today's lesson -

What Is the Prohibition to Greet Before Blessing the Creator, in the Work?