Tens Course - Lesson #30

Topic: Intention

Selected Excerpts from the Sources

1. RABASH, Article No. 577, "Concerning the Goal"

The purpose of man’s work is to achieve the intention to bestow, for there is nothing to correct in the external action, since the Kli [vessel] that was created by the Creator will not undergo any change. Rather, all the changes should be in the intention, meaning that since the purpose of creation is to do good to His creations, He created a Kli for this purpose, called “desire and yearning to receive pleasure.”

However, in order not to have the bread of shame, but only through equivalence of form, a correction was made called Tzimtzum [restriction], so as not to receive unless it is in order to bestow. In other words, in the same Kli he had before, namely the will to receive, but with a different aim, meaning not to receive because he wants to satisfy his deficiency, but because of the Mitzvot [commandments] of the Creator, since He wants to do good to His creations.

2. RABASH, Article No. 577, "Concerning the Goal"

All the work is only on the aim to come to a person yearning to bestow. This is called “inner work,” which is something concealed, not apparent on the outside. It is man’s intention in the act that he performs.

However, in order to achieve the intention called “inner work,” we first need external work, which is actions, something visible, meaning that his work is apparent. Conversely, the intention is internal and concealed.

3. RABASH, Article No. 31 (1988), "What Is the Work of Man, in the Work, which Is Attributed to the Creator?"

If a person’s intention is only to bring contentment to the Creator and not for his own benefit, he does not mind the amount of pleasure. He only looks at the amount of passion with which he wants to delight the Creator, since through the yearning to delight the Creator, he causes equivalence of form at the root of his soul. This, in turn, causes more abundance to be drawn, since the upper one wants to give more than the lower one wants to receive, and only vessels of bestowal are missing. It follows that by overcoming in bestowal, great abundance is extended. For this reason, we need not ask to have great lights, only try to have big vessels, which are vessels of bestowal.

4. RABASH, Article No. 390, "Coercion and Inversion"

A person has nothing to give to the Creator, as it is written, “If you are right, what will you give Him?” All that one can give to the Creator is the intention, called “for My name.” There is nothing more that he can give Him because the Creator has no deficiencies so He can be given something. Thus, all that we give Him is the intention.

5 RABASH, Article No. 21 (1988), "What Does It Mean that the Torah Was Given Out of the Darkness in the Work?"

All the actions He has given us to do are only in order to obtain this aim to bestow. Thus, how can we do the above, since there cannot be coercion of the heart and the desire?

Baal HaSulam interpreted “which God has created to do.” “Which God created” means that it is about this that man must “do,” on what He has created. We should interpret “Which God has created” to mean that creation is called “existence from absence,” referring to the will to receive. “To do” pertains to the creatures, who must place on it the aim to bestow. This means that all that the creatures must do is only to be able to aim to bestow. This is called “Which God has created to do.” This doing belongs to the creatures.

6. RABASH, Article No. 1 (1989), "What Is the Measure of Repentance?"

We should know that when a person wants to emerge from merely performing actions, without the aim, and wants to begin the work of acting with the aim to bestow, there is much work in this, since when the body begins to hear about the aim to bestow, it immediately begins to resist and does not let one continue this work, showing him dark colors in this work.

In that state, a person should believe that only the Creator can help. Here is where a person can make a true prayer.

7. RABASH, Article No. 31 (1990), "What 'There Is No Blessing in That Which Is Counted' Means in the Work"

From the perspective of the aim, there is no difference whether the act is bestowal or the act is reception. Both actions need correction so the aim, too, will be in order to bestow.

This is so because the work is primarily in the heart. That is, a person should reach the degree of love of the Creator, as it is written, “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.” Everything we do in Torah and Mitzvot [commandments] is to correct the heart. It is written about it (“Introduction to the Book, Panim Meirot uMasbirot,” Item 10), “Come and see the words of the sage, Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra ... ‘Know that all the Mitzvot that are written in the Torah or the conventions that the fathers have established ... are all in order to correct the heart, ‘For the Lord searches all hearts.’”

8. RABASH, Article No. 31 (1990), "What 'There Is No Blessing in That Which Is Counted' Means in the Work"

Before one places the aim to bestow on the will to receive, that desire caused him bitterness. Anything spiritual that he wanted to touch tasted bitter because there were Tzimtzum [restriction] and concealment on the will to receive for himself, so it was impossible to taste a good flavor in spirituality. In other words, anything holy felt remote, inaccessible, and impossible for the will to receive to enjoy. This is called “bitter.”

However, if he places the aim to bestow over this desire, he sees and feels that there is sweetness in everything in holiness.