What
Is
“He
Who
Did
Not
Toil
on
the
Eve
of
Shabbat,
What
Will
He
Eat
on
Shabbat”
in
the
Work?
Article
No.
7,
1989
Our
sages
said
(Avoda
Zara
3),
“They
said
to
Him,
‘Lord
of
the
world,
give
us
in
advance
and
we
will
do
it’
(give
us
the
Torah
now
and
we
will
observe
it).
The
Creator
said
to
them:
‘Fools,
he
who
toiled
on
the
eve
of
Shabbat
[Sabbath]
will
eat
on
Shabbat.
He
who
did
not
toil
on
the
eve
of
Shabbat,
from
where
will
he
eat
on
Shabbat?’”
We
should
understand
this
in
the
work:
1)
What
is
the
“toil
on
the
eve
of
Shabbat”?
2)
What
is
“Shabbat”
in
the
work?
3)
Why
must
we
toil
in
order
to
obtain
the
quality
of
“Shabbat”?
It
is
known
that
Shabbat
is
called
“the
conclusion
of
the
making
of
heaven
and
earth.”
That
is,
the
purpose
of
the
creation
of
heaven
and
earth
was
for
Shabbat.
In
other
words,
the
revelation
of
His
desire
to
do
good
to
His
creations,
when
it
is
revealed
to
all,
is
called
“Shabbat.”
It
follows
that
He
“Shabbat
[rested/ceased]
from
all
His
work”
because
there
is
great
work
to
reveal
to
all
that
His
guidance
is
in
the
form
of
good
and
doing
good.
At
that
time,
there
is
no
more
work
to
do
in
the
quality
of
weekdays,
since
work
means
turning
Hol
[unholy/weekday]
into
Kodesh
[holy].
Kedusha
[holiness]
means
Kodesh,
when
he
separates
himself
from
any
vessel
of
reception
and
does
all
this
work
with
the
aim
to
bestow,
as
it
is
written,
“You
will
be
holy,
for
I
am
holy.”
This
means
that
as
the
Creator
is
the
giver,
the
creatures,
too,
should
achieve
equivalence
of
form.
In
corporeality,
we
see
that
a
person
works
only
for
sustenance.
Sustenance
means
foods
on
which
the
body
nourishes.
This
means
that
the
foods
are
what
he
gives
to
the
body,
both
corporeal
life,
called
eating,
drinking,
and
so
forth,
and
spiritual
nourishment,
called
honor,
knowledge,
power,
governance,
etc.
In
order
to
acquire
these
nourishments,
a
person
must
toil.
Otherwise,
he
will
not
get
it.
This
means
that
the
nourishments
one
yearns
to
receive
in
return
for
his
work
are
like
a
meal,
and
the
toil
is
like
the
preparation
for
the
meal.
Clearly,
one
who
is
unfit
to
toil
does
not
receive
corporeal
nourishments
or
emotional
nourishments.
In
other
words,
if
someone
wants
to
be
given
something,
the
giver
will
not
give
unless
the
conditions
that
the
giver
requires
are
met.
For
this
reason,
in
Kedusha,
called
“in
order
to
bestow,”
man
was
created
with
a
will
to
receive
for
himself,
but
the
Giver
demands
that
he
will
work
for
Him,
regarded
as
“All
your
works
will
be
for
the
sake
of
heaven.”
Otherwise,
if
the
Giver
gives
to
the
receiver
into
vessels
of
self-love,
everything
will
go
to
the
Sitra
Achra
[other
side],
who
robs
the
abundance
from
the
Kedusha.
Kedusha
means
that
what
he
does
is
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator.
If
the
intention
is
for
himself,
it
is
called
“disparity
of
form,”
and
it
is
the
opposite
of
Kedusha.
However,
since
it
is
against
nature,
both
in
mind
and
in
heart,
it
is
called
“labor,”
and
this
is
the
preparation
for
the
meal.
In
other
words,
the
fact
that
a
person
must
aim
to
benefit
the
Creator
and
not
himself
in
order
to
obtain
the
Kli
[vessel]
called
“in
order
to
bestow”
is
great
labor
and
toil.
This
is
called
the
“preparation
for
the
meal,”
and
the
“meal”
is
called
“Shabbat.”
It
follows
that
the
work
is
considered
“weekdays,”
when
we
must
toil
in
order
to
remove
the
secularity
in
man’s
heart,
and
place
Kedusha
there
instead.
Kedusha
means
Dvekut
[adhesion]
with
the
Creator,
and
“secular”
means
separation
from
the
Creator.
All
the
work
is
to
place
over
the
will
to
receive
the
intention
to
bestow.
At
that
time,
a
person
adheres
to
the
Creator,
as
was
said,
“You
will
be
holy
for
I
the
Lord
am
holy.”
For
this,
he
obtains
Kelim
[vessels]
that
can
receive
what
the
Creator
wants
to
give:
the
delight
and
pleasure
called
“the
meal.”
This
is
the
Shabbat
meal,
and
this
is
the
meaning
of
“He
who
did
not
toil
on
the
eve
of
Shabbat
[before
Shabbat],
what
will
he
eat
on
Shabbat?”
Baal
HaSulam
gave
an
allegory
about
working
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator
and
not
working
in
order
to
obtain
self-benefit,
but
to
do
everything
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
or
all
the
abundance
will
go
to
the
Klipot.
This
is
brought
in
the
book
A
Sage’s
Fruit
(Part
1,
p
158):
“A
great,
benevolent
king,
who
did
not
need
any
work
to
be
done
for
him,
wished
only
to
delight
his
countryfolk.
He
sent
out
a
decree
to
all
the
people
in
the
country,
none
excluded,
and
dedicated
a
place
in
his
palace
for
that
purpose.
“He
stipulated
explicitly
that
it
is
forbidden
to
work
outside
the
designated
place,
and
their
reward
was
with
them
in
the
place
where
they
worked,
where
he
prepared
for
them
lush
meals.
When
the
work
began,
they
thought
that
the
king
had
prepared
overseers
to
examine
their
work
so
as
to
know
who
worked
for
him
and
who
did
not.
Yet,
the
king
hid,
and
there
was
no
supervision.
But
they
did
not
know
about
the
wondrous
invention:
He
placed
a
sort
of
foul
powder
in
the
delicacies
and
confections,
and
as
an
antidote,
he
placed
a
healing
powder
in
the
workplace.
“By
this,
supervision
happened
by
itself.
Those
who
loved
him
kept
the
king’s
commandments
meticulously,
as
well
as
worked
precisely
in
the
designated
place,
and
thereby
inhaled
the
healing
powder.
When
mealtime
came,
the
taste
of
the
confections
was
such
that
they
had
never
before
tasted.
Naturally,
they
praised
the
king.
“But
the
lowly
ones,
who
did
not
understand
the
king’s
merit,
for
which
they
should
love
him,
once
they
saw
that
there
was
no
supervision,
they
did
not
observe
the
king’s
commandments
properly.
When
mealtime
came
and
they
tasted
the
confections,
their
mouths
filled
with
a
foul
taste
due
to
the
abovementioned
powder,
and
they
cursed
and
vilified
the
king.”
Accordingly,
it
is
impossible
to
feel
the
delight
and
pleasure
found
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot
[commandments/good
deeds]
because
of
the
Tzimtzum
[restriction]
and
judgment
that
were
set
up,
so
it
is
impossible
to
feel
any
light
in
vessels
of
reception.
In
vessels
of
reception
there
are
only
darkness
and
death,
due
to
the
disparity
of
form
between
the
light
and
the
Kli
[vessel].
Therefore,
when
we
want
to
feel
taste
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot
with
vessels
of
reception,
there
is
no
taste
there.
In
vessels
of
reception
we
can
only
feel
taste
in
corporeal
pleasures,
where
the
sweetness
is
revealed
when
a
person
obtains
the
corporeal
pleasures.
This
was
done
on
purpose,
so
that
creation
would
exist,
so
there
would
be
something
to
enjoy
even
before
a
person
obtains
vessels
of
bestowal,
which
are
called
“Kelim
for
unification
with
the
Creator,”
meaning
that
a
person
does
not
become
removed
from
the
Creator
when
receiving
the
pleasures.
And
in
order
to
have
something
from
which
man
receives
vitality
and
pleasure,
we
learned
that
because
of
the
breaking
of
the
vessels,
a
thin
illumination
shines,
a
tiny
illumination
of
Kedusha
that
shines
within
the
Klipot
[shells/peels],
on
which
all
of
the
corporeal
pleasures
feed.
Therefore,
in
corporeal
pleasures,
a
person
can
have
pleasure
and
high
spirits.
But
as
for
feeling
real
pleasures,
which
is
the
primary
intention
in
the
desire
to
do
good
to
His
creations,
there,
there
is
the
powder
of
concealment,
and
hiding,
and
darkness
and
bitterness,
and
there
is
no
flavor
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot.
That
is,
the
hiding
and
concealment
are
the
bitter
powder
that
is
placed
there
by
the
correction
of
the
Tzimtzum.
He
placed
the
healing
powder
in
the
labor
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot.
That
is,
you
find
the
healing
powder
precisely
in
labor
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot.
And
why
specifically
in
the
labor,
and
mere
engagement
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot
is
not
enough
to
receive
the
healing
powder
to
cure
a
person
from
the
bitter
powder
in
the
meal?
To
understand
this,
we
must
first
know
what
is
the
powder
that
heals
the
bitter
powder
that
the
Creator
placed
in
the
meal,
and
what
is
the
labor
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot
by
which
we
can
find
a
place
to
obtain
the
healing
powder.
It
is
known
that
the
main
labor
is
when
we
work
against
reason.
That
is,
when
a
person
does
not
know
why
he
must
work
and
he
must
work
against
his
reason.
This
is
very
difficult,
and
it
is
called
“labor
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot.”
However,
we
should
understand
why
a
person
must
work
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot
against
reason,
which
is
very
difficult
and
not
every
person
is
capable
of
this,
and
why
we
cannot
work
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot
within
reason,
something
that
everyone
can
do.
The
thing
is
that
we
must
know
what
is
above
reason,
which
is
called
“labor,”
that
we
must
labor
in
engagement
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot.
The
point
is
that
man
was
created
with
a
desire
to
receive
for
himself.
Since
there
was
a
correction
on
this
will
to
receive
so
there
would
not
be
disparity
of
form
upon
the
reception
of
the
abundance
but
that
even
during
the
reception
of
the
abundance
he
will
remain
in
Dvekut,
called
“equivalence
of
form,”
hence,
a
Tzimtzum
and
restriction
were
made.
This
means
that
when
a
person
wants
to
receive
the
delight
and
pleasure
in
vessels
of
reception,
he
sees
no
light
at
all,
but
only
darkness,
called
“a
space
devoid
of
light.”
However,
one
must
fashion
for
himself
vessels
of
bestowal,
regarded
as
“as
He
is
merciful,
so
you
are
merciful.”
How
can
we
obtain
these
Kelim?
It
is
done
by
labor
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot,
when
we
engage
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot
in
order
to
obtain
vessels
of
bestowal.
This
means
that
a
person
does
not
want
to
receive
any
reward
for
his
work
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot,
but
his
reward
and
payment
will
be
that
he
will
have
the
strength
to
do
everything
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator
and
not
for
his
own
sake.
This
means
that
if
a
person
observes
Torah
and
Mitzvot
in
order
to
receive
reward,
to
obtain
delight
and
pleasure
for
his
own
sake,
this
is
called
“observing
Torah
and
Mitzvot
within
reason.”
That
is,
the
body
does
not
object
to
this,
since
to
the
extent
that
he
believes
he
will
receive
from
this
pleasure
for
his
own
sake,
this
is
called
“within
reason.”
Maimonides
says
about
this
quality,
“When
teaching
little
ones,
women,
and
uneducated
people,
they
are
taught
to
work
only
out
of
fear
and
in
order
to
receive
reward.
Until
they
gain
knowledge
and
acquire
much
wisdom,
they
are
taught
that
secret
little-by-little”
(Hilchot
Teshuva,
p
60b).
From
the
words
of
Maimonides,
we
see
that
there
are
two
aspects
to
observing
Torah
and
Mitzvot:
1)
For
one’s
own
sake,
which
is
in
order
to
receive
reward
and
not
work
above
reason.
To
the
extent
that
he
believes
in
reward
and
punishment,
since
he
takes
everything
for
his
own
benefit,
this
work
is
called
“the
work
of
uneducated
people,”
which
is
within
reason.
In
the
work,
this
is
not
considered
labor
(although
the
general
public
does
regard
this
as
labor).
2)
Labor
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot.
That
is,
he
engages
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot
not
in
order
to
receive
any
reward
for
this.
Rather,
he
works
completely
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator.
This
is
against
reason,
since
reason
obligates
that
the
person
will
work
for
his
own
sake.
Therefore,
when
he
says
he
is
observing
Torah
and
Mitzvot
in
order
to
thereby
receive
power
to
work
only
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator
and
not
for
his
own
sake,
the
body
begins
to
resist
with
all
its
might,
and
yells,
“What?‼
Are
you
crazy???
Are
you
trying
to
revoke
yourself
before
the
Creator?
You
tell
me,
what
will
you
get
out
of
it??”
This
aspect
is
considered
“great
labor”
because
he
must
fight
against
his
own
body,
when
justice
and
common
sense
side
with
the
body,
as
this
is
its
nature.
It
follows
that
this
is
called
“labor,”
since
it
is
above
reason
and
the
body
does
not
agree
to
work
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator.
This
is
regarded
as
engaging
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot
as
labor.
That
is,
by
his
engagement
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot,
he
wants
to
be
rewarded
with
the
quality
of
bestowal,
which
can
be
obtained
precisely
by
learning
in
the
form
of
labor—when
he
engages
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot
with
the
intention
that
our
sages
said,
“I
have
created
the
evil
inclination;
I
have
created
the
Torah
as
a
spice,
because
the
light
in
it
reforms
him.”
This
means
that
he
sees
that
he
has
no
love
for
the
Creator,
but
rather
self-love.
He
cannot
do
a
single
movement
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator
because
the
body
objects
to
it.
Each
time
he
overcomes,
yet
he
is
not
progressing.
Rather,
it
is
to
the
contrary:
After
all
his
labor
to
overcome,
he
sees
that
he
is
regressing
rather
than
progressing.
This
labor
gives
him
room
to
pray
that
the
Creator
will
help
him.
It
follows
that
each
time
he
sees
he
is
regressing,
he
is
actually
progressing
in
his
prayer
because
as
he
sees
it,
he
is
far
from
the
goal,
and
can
therefore
pray
more
wholeheartedly
because
he
sees
the
place
of
danger.
This
means
that
he
is
afraid
that
the
bad
might
overcome
him
and
make
him
think
he
should
escape
the
campaign.
That
is,
the
body
makes
him
think
that
this
work
was
given
to
people
with
strong
characters
and
not
for
the
general
public.
Although
now
he
has
taken
upon
himself
to
walk
on
the
path
of
truth,
meaning
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator
and
not
for
his
own
sake,
but
since
he
is
not
succeeding
and
is
regressing,
he
is
afraid
that
the
bad
will
overcome
him
and
make
him
think
within
reason
that
the
body
is
right,
as
he
sees
the
reality,
that
he
does
not
doubt
what
the
body
tells
him,
that
this
work
is
for
a
chosen
few.
Hence,
this
makes
him
pray
to
the
Creator
from
the
bottom
of
the
heart
to
save
him
from
this
danger
of
having
to
escape
the
campaign.
He
says,
“Lord
of
the
world,
please
help
me
now
while
I
still
have
the
strength
to
pray
to
You,
since
I
don’t
know
what
will
happen
later;
there
may
be
no
one
to
ask
You
for
help.”
For
this
reason,
he
says,
“Lord
of
the
world,
help
me
while
the
soul
is
still
within
me,
since
I’m
afraid
that
I
might
die
later
and
decline
to
a
place
of
separation,”
which
is
despair,
and
there
is
no
faith
in
the
Creator
there,
not
even
a
tiny
measure,
so
as
to
make
it
possible
to
pray
to
the
Creator.
A
person
who
falls
into
a
place
of
despair
no
longer
asks
for
any
help.
As
long
as
one
has
confidence
that
he
will
emerge
from
his
state,
he
still
works,
as
in,
“Everything
that
is
in
the
power
of
your
hand
to
do,
that
do.”
It
follows
that
the
labor,
the
fact
that
he
wants
to
work
in
bestowal,
causes
him
labor.
This,
in
turn,
causes
him
to
pray
that
the
Creator
will
help
him,
and
to
believe
in
the
sages,
who
said,
“He
who
comes
to
purify
is
aided.”
It
follows
that
the
healing
powder
is
found
in
the
labor.
That
is,
his
labor
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot
in
order
to
achieve
Lishma
[for
Her
sake],
the
Lishma
that
he
later
obtains
causes
him
to
have
the
ability
to
enjoy
the
meal,
called
“delight
and
pleasure.”
Since
he
already
has
vessels
of
bestowal,
which
remove
the
concealment
and
hiding
that
are
on
the
meal,
that
concealment
pushes
away
anyone
who
wants
to
taste
the
food,
and
he
says
about
the
meal
that
it
tastes
bitter.
By
this
we
can
interpret
what
our
sages
said,
“Fools,
he
who
toiled
on
the
eve
of
Shabbat
will
eat
on
Shabbat.”
We
asked,
What
is
the
“Shabbat
meal”
in
the
work?
We
should
interpret
as
our
sages
said,
that
while
creating
Adam
HaRishon,
the
Creator
said,
“What
is
this
like?
It
is
like
a
king
who
has
a
tower
filled
with
abundance
but
no
guests.”
The
meal
is
called
“a
tower
filled
with
abundance.”
This
is
called
the
“Shabbat
meal.”
This
is
after
the
completion
of
the
work,
which
is
obtainment
of
the
vessels
of
bestowal,
which
is
all
the
labor
during
the
weekdays
[Hebrew:
also,
“secular
days”].
The
week
[secular]
days
are
called
“six
days
of
action,”
which
is
the
making
of
Kelim
that
are
capable
of
receiving
the
general
meal
for
the
whole
of
Israel.
This
will
be
at
the
end
of
correction,
which
our
sages
called
“Israel,”
as
they
said,
that
the
creation
of
the
world
was
for
Israel,
as
it
is
written,
“In
the
beginning
[God]
created,
and
there
is
no
beginning
but
Israel,”
as
it
is
written,
“the
beginning
of
Israel.”
In
other
words,
the
tower
filled
with
abundance
is
for
the
whole
collective.
Individually,
the
meal
is
when
a
person
corrects
his
actions
and
comes
into
a
state
of
“Israel,”
called
Yashar-El
[straight
to
the
Creator].
This
means
that
all
his
actions
are
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
called
El
[God].
At
that
time
he
is
rewarded
with
the
“meal”
individually.
At
the
end
of
correction,
all
the
individuals
will
come
with
Kelim
that
are
suitable
to
receive
the
meal,
as
the
Creator
said,
“He
who
toiled
on
the
eve
of
Shabbat
will
eat
on
Shabbat,”
as
mentioned
in
the
allegory
about
the
healing
powder.
In
other
words,
through
labor
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot,
there,
in
the
labor,
they
will
find
the
cure
that
revokes
the
Tzimtzum
and
concealment
lying
over
the
meal.
Accordingly,
we
should
interpret
what
was
presented
in
Masechet
Shabbat
(p
119):
“The
emperor
said
to
Rabbi
Joshua
ben
Hananiah,
‘Why
has
the
Shabbat
dish
such
a
fragrant
scent?’
‘We
have
a
certain
spice,’
said
he,
‘called
Shabbat,
which
we
put
into
it,
and
that
gives
it
a
fragrant
scent.’
He
asked,
‘Give
us
some
of
it.’
And
he
replied,
‘To
him
who
observes
the
Shabbat,
it
is
beneficial,
and
to
him
who
does
not
observe
the
Shabbat,
it
is
of
no
use.’”
Although
the
literal
meaning
concerns
he
who
observes
Shabbat,
but
in
the
work,
we
should
interpret
“observing
Shabbat”
through
the
words,
“And
his
father
kept
the
matter.”
That
is,
he
sits
and
waits
and
says,
“When
will
I
be
able
to
obtain
the
Kelim
that
can
receive
the
Shabbat
meal,
whose
scent
is
fragrant,
since
the
Shabbat
meal
is
called
“delight
and
pleasure
clothed
in
the
613
Mitzvot
in
the
form
of
613
deposits.”
As
it
is
written
in
the
Sulam
[commentary
on
The
Zohar]
(Part
1),
“In
each
and
every
Mitzva,
a
special
light
is
deposited.
This
is
regarded
as
the
Shabbat
meal.
We
can
receive
this
specifically
after
the
work
and
labor,
as
it
comes
by
observing
the
613
Mitzvot
as
counsels,
meaning
tips
how
to
achieve
the
quality
of
‘The
light
in
it
reforms
him.’”
For
this
reason,
the
meaning
of
“one
who
observes”
is
observing
the
613
Mitzvot
in
the
form
of
counsels
how
to
achieve
bestowal,
for
precisely
in
vessels
of
bestowal
can
we
enjoy
the
Shabbat
meal,
for
then
the
Tzimtzum
and
concealment
have
been
removed
from
the
delight
and
pleasure.
This
is
like
the
above-said
allegory
about
the
healing
powder:
The
powder
found
in
observing
the
613
Mitzvot
as
counsels
heals
the
bitter
powder
that
lies
over
the
delight
and
pleasure.
For
this
reason,
if
we
do
not
obtain
the
vessels
of
bestowal,
found
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot,
through
the
labor,
the
concealment
over
the
delight
and
pleasure
remains.
By
this
we
can
interpret
what
our
sages
said
(Avot
2:21),
“You
can
trust
your
landlord
to
pay
you
for
your
work,
and
know
that
the
reward
of
the
righteous
is
given
in
the
future.”
This
is
perplexing,
since
we
must
work
not
in
order
to
receive
reward.
Thus,
why
do
they
say,
“know
that
the
reward
of
the
righteous
is
given
in
the
future”?
Accordingly,
we
should
interpret
that
our
sages
explain
to
us
what
is
the
reward
of
the
righteous
in
the
future.
That
is,
all
the
labor
they
give
in
order
to
receive
reward,
we
are
told
what
is
their
reward.
It
is
in
the
future,
meaning
that
they
will
be
rewarded
with
working
only
so
that
“all
your
works
will
be
for
the
sake
of
heaven,”
which
is
vessels
of
bestowal.
For
this,
they
give
all
the
labor,
in
order
to
obtain
“in
the
future”
in
different
Kelim
than
the
ones
they
have
now,
which
are
vessels
of
reception.
In
the
future,
they
will
be
rewarded
with
vessels
of
bestowal,
and
this
is
the
meaning
of
“The
reward
of
the
righteous
is
in
the
future.”