Which Keeping of Torah and Mitzvot Purifies the Heart?

Hello to our dear friends from the Tens Community. We're reading Rabash's articles together to connect to his heart and spirit. What he taught us all these years through our Rav.

We have a special article today: Which Keeping of Torah and Mitzvot Purifies the Heart? We'll dive into this lesson and deepen our understanding through workshops. The most important thing is for us to come out of the lesson with a greater yearning for the revelation of the Creator - a yearning to reach the place he's describing.

Clip: By what do I correct myself?

Our desires that we need to correct are initially called "evil inclinations". The question is whether we understand this, whether we see it as such or not. But that's how they are.. All our desires are called that, evil inclinations. Why is the evil inclination "evil"? This too needs to be clarified. It is called evil because it distinguishes me from good. What is "good"? The Creator who is good and benevolent. Therefore, I was given the Torah, that I would change my desires in such a way that I would discover the Creator until I could reach the level of devotion, and then I would be called good like Him and my actions would be called good, and then I would discover that He is truly good and benevolent and then I would be called "righteous" according to the fact that I justify Him.

Now, the question is by what do I correct myself, change myself, literally transform myself, like plowing the soil, from an evil inclination to a good inclination? They say, the instinct is the same instinct, the will remains, but to turn it from evil to good is to direct oneself to the intention for the benefit of others, and through this to the benefit of God. How do we do this? By the light that reforms. Where is it found, where do we buy it, where do we attract it, acquire it? They say, it is hidden in the Torah. How do I reach it? What is Torah?

"Torah" means that you study the holy books, written by those people who have already achieved this light and are at the level of that light. That means that they have internal vessels, and from the internal vessels they write for you what they write. And when you read and you try to organize yourself in the corrected form, then the light works.

What does "corrected form" mean? That you study in society, that the whole society is organized like one general corrected soul, that is, glued to all its parts, and then within this soul this light appears, this light as the inner light. Because we yearn for this thing, we unite together, connect together as much as we can and awaken this light that is in us, as if it is found. As if. But with us it is called the "surrounding light". It does not yet actually appear, that we have not yet reached the connection between us, but to the extent of our longing to be connected to each other as one soul, a light appears from within, illuminating us, and it is called "surrounding," meaning that it illuminates from afar.

And then it is understood from this that correcting my desires is called "doing a mitzva/commandment," and we do this by this reforming light called "the light that returns to the good," called "Torah." Michael Laitman

So while reading the source we will relate to these words in a very practical way - I'm reading with my ten to awaken the reforming light to awaken me - and transform my desires from a will to receive to a will to bestow. With corrected vessels I'll be able to receive more light.

Which Keeping of Torah and Mitzvot Purifies the Heart?

Article No. 8, 1984

Question: Does keeping Torah and Mitzvot in order to receive reward purify the heart, too? Our sages said, “I have created the evil inclination; I have created the spice of Torah.” This means that it does purify the heart. But is it so when one aims specifically at not receiving a reward, or does it also purify the heart if one works in order to receive a reward?

Answer: In the “Introduction to the Book of Zohar” (Item 44), it is written, “When one begins to engage in Torah and Mitzvot, even without any intention, meaning without love and fear, as is appropriate when serving the King, even in Lo Lishma [not for Her sake], the point in one’s heart begins to grow and show its activity. This is so because Mitzvot do not require intention, and even actions without intention can purify one’s will to receive, but in its first degree, called ‘still.’ And to the extent that one purifies the still part of the will to receive, one gradually builds the 613 organs of the point in the heart, which is the still of Nefesh de Kedusha [holiness].” Thus, we see that observing Torah and Mitzvot, even Lo Lishma purifies the heart.

Question: Is the path of observing Torah and Mitzvot in order not to be rewarded meant only for a chosen few? Or can anyone walk this path of observing everything in order not to be rewarded, by which they will be rewarded with Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator?

Answer: Although the will to receive for oneself alone emerged at the thought of creation, being given a correction that the souls will correct it to being in order to bestow, meaning by observing Torah and Mitzvot, we will turn our will to receive to be in order to bestow. This is given to everyone, without exception, for everyone was given this remedy, not necessarily a chosen few.

But since this is a matter of choice, some advance more quickly and others more slowly. But as it is written in the “Introduction to the Book of Zohar” (Items 13, 14), in the end, everyone will achieve their complete perfection, as it is written, “The outcast shall not be outcast from Him.”

Still, when beginning to learn to observe Torah and Mitzvot, one begins in Lo Lishma. This is because man is created with a will to receive; hence, he does not understand anything that does not yield him self-benefit and he will never want to begin to observe Torah and Mitzvot.

It is as the Rambam wrote (Hilchot Teshuva, Chapter 10), “Sages said, ‘one should always engage in Torah, even Lo Lishma, because from Lo Lishma, one comes to Lishma.’ Hence, when teaching children and women and the populace, they are only taught to work out of fear and to receive reward. And when they gain knowledge and acquire wisdom, that secret is revealed to them bit by bit. They are accustomed to it calmly until they attain Him and serve Him with love.” Thus, we see from the Rambam’s words that everyone should achieve Lishma, but the difference is in the timing.

Question: If a person sees and feels that he is treading a path that leads to Lishma, should he try to influence others so they will tread the right path, too?

Answer: This is a general question. It is like a religious person examining a secular person. If he knows that he can reform him, then he is must reform him, due to the Mitzva, “Thou shalt surely rebuke your friend.” Similarly, in this case it can be said that you should tell your friend about the better way that one can go, provided your intention is only the Mitzva. But there are many times when a person rebukes another only for the purpose of domination, and not in order to “rebuke your friend.”

And we learn from the above that everyone’s desire that others will tread the path of truth has created disputes between orthodox and secular, between the Lithuanian faction and Hassidim, and among the Hassidim themselves. This is because everyone thinks that he is in the right, and everyone is trying to persuade the other to tread the right path.