What
Does
It
Mean
that
the
Evil
Inclination
Ascends
and
Slanders,
in
the
Work?
Article
No.
20,
1989
It
is
written
in
The
Zohar,
Tzav
(Item
20),
“‘This
is
the
law’
is
the
assembly
of
Israel.
Malchut
that
ascends
is
an
evil
thought
that
comes
up
in
one’s
mind
to
divert
him
from
the
way
of
truth.
It
is
the
burnt-offering
that
ascends
and
slanders
a
person,
and
must
be
burned
in
fire
so
as
not
to
allow
it
to
slander.
For
this
reason,
On
its
firewood
upon
the
altar
all
night.’
Who
is
the
‘Night’?
It
is
the
assembly
of
Israel,
Malchut,
which
is
the
one
who
comes
to
purify
the
man
from
that
desire.
For
this
reason,
it
must
never
be
quenched,
but
an
everlasting
fire
shall
burn
in
it.’”
We
should
understand
the
meaning
of
a
bad
thought
that
ascends
and
slanders
a
person.
We
should
also
understand
what
it
means
that
“night”
is
called
Malchut,
and
what
it
means
that
with
the
fire,
we
burn
the
bad
thought
so
it
does
not
slander
above,
and
what
it
means
that
this
fire
will
not
be
quenched.
What
is
this
fire?
It
is
known
that
our
basis
is
faith.
That
is,
although
we
do
not
feel
or
understand
everything
our
sages
told
us,
we
must
believe.
Without
faith
there
is
nothing
to
talk
about.
That
is,
we
must
believe
what
they
told
us,
“I
labored
but
did
not
find,
do
not
believe.”
Rather,
once
a
person
has
put
in
the
necessary
effort,
we
will
achieve
what
our
sages
told
us.
That
is,
first
we
must
believe
that
the
purpose
of
creation
is
“to
do
good
to
His
creations.”
But
the
creatures
do
not
attain
the
delight
and
pleasure
right
away,
meaning
that
each
one
can
say,
“Blessed
is
He
who
said,
‘Let
there
be
the
world,’”
meaning
that
each
one
will
rejoice
in
being
created
and
in
being
able
to
enjoy
a
world
that
is
full
of
abundance.
However,
we
see
that
all
creations
suffer,
whether
less
or
more.
They
all
ask,
“Where
is
that
delight
and
pleasure
that
the
Creator
wants
to
give
us?”
The
answer
is
that
there
was
a
correction
in
order
to
bring
to
light
the
perfection
of
His
deeds.
That
is,
so
that
the
creatures
will
not
feel
shame
when
receiving
the
delight
and
pleasure.
For
this
purpose,
there
was
a
Tzimtzum
[restriction]
and
concealment,
where
the
delight
and
pleasure
are
concealed
from
us
until
we
obtain
the
Kelim
[vessels]
that
are
fit
to
receive
the
good,
and
that
they
feel
no
deficiency
in
it,
called
“bread
of
shame.”
For
this
reason,
we
must
believe
that
although
we
still
do
not
see
the
good,
if
we
qualify
ourselves
to
obtain
the
Kelim
that
are
suitable
for
this,
we
will
receive
the
abundance,
as
our
sages
said,
“I
labored
but
did
not
find,
do
not
believe.”
Rather,
anyone
who
exerts
to
obtain
the
vessels
of
bestowal
will
receive
the
delight
and
pleasure.
Therefore,
a
person
must
not
decide
that
if
some
time
has
passed
in
his
engagement
in
the
work
of
bestowal
and
he
has
labored
for
it,
he
must
believe
that
he
must
have
not
given
the
required
effort,
and
this
is
why
he
has
not
been
awarded
these
Kelim.
However,
in
order
to
receive
these
(Kelim),
meaning
vessels
of
bestowal,
there
is
the
opposite
work
here.
That
is,
normally,
when
a
person
learns
a
trade,
each
day
he
makes
some
progress,
some
more,
some
less.
All
those
who
quit
the
profession
do
not
leave
because
they
see
no
progress.
Instead,
they
are
advancing,
but
very
slowly,
and
see
that
at
the
very
least,
they
will
need
to
learn
this
profession
many
years
since
they
are
advancing
very
slowly.
Therefore,
they
drop
out.
However,
in
learning
the
work
of
bestowal,
the
order
is
to
the
contrary:
Not
only
do
they
see
no
progress
in
the
work,
they
even
see
that
they
are
going
backward.
Indeed,
the
question
is,
Why
do
they
need
to
regress,
meaning
see
that
instead
of
what
he
should
have
seen,
that
the
will
to
receive
for
himself
separates
him
from
Kedusha
[holiness],
and
each
time
he
must
loathe
the
bad,
meaning
not
want
to
work
for
self-reception,
but
always
crave
to
work
for
the
Creator,
now
he
sees
that
he
has
received
a
greater
yearning
for
self-love
and
cannot
do
anything
in
order
to
bestow?
Baal
HaSulam
said
about
this
that
in
fact,
a
person
does
advance,
meaning
that
each
time
he
advances
toward
seeing
his
true
state—that
he
is
so
immersed
in
self-love.
This
is
so
because
there
is
a
correction
from
above
not
to
see
one’s
true
state
before
he
can
correct
it.
Therefore,
to
the
extent
that
it
is
seen
above
that
he
exerts
to
emerge
from
self-love,
to
that
extent
the
evil
in
him
is
revealed
to
him,
so
he
will
know
that
he
is
the
worst
person
in
the
world.
That
is,
in
other
people,
the
evil
is
not
as
exposed
as
it
is
in
him.
For
this
reason,
he
sees
what
he
is
lacking,
and
then
he
can
ask
the
Creator
to
save
him
and
bring
him
out
of
the
bad
within
him.
By
this
we
should
interpret
what
is
written,
“The
Lord
is
near
to
all
who
call
upon
Him,
to
all
who
call
upon
Him
in
truth.”
That
is,
in
truth,
they
see
their
lowliness,
that
they
are
lower
than
the
rest
of
the
people
and
are
unable
to
emerge
from
the
control
of
the
evil
in
them
by
themselves.
For
this
reason,
this
is
called
“who
call
upon
Him
in
truth,”
since
they
see
that
it
is
utterly
impossible
to
emerge
from
the
control
of
the
self-love.
For
this
reason,
they
have
a
complete
thing,
meaning
a
complete
desire
for
His
help.
It
is
as
Baal
HaSulam
said,
“A
prayer
makes
half.”
That
is,
when
a
person
gives
an
awakening
from
below,
called
“a
prayer
makes
half,”
meaning
the
Kli
[vessel],
called
(desire)
for
the
thing
he
wants
the
Creator
to
satisfy.
When
the
half
of
the
Kli
is
completed,
the
filling
comes.
Here,
“half”
means
that
he
sees
that
he
has
a
deficiency
but
no
vessels
of
bestowal.
It
turns
out
that
when
he
knows
about
himself
that
he
is
utterly
unable
to
correct
his
lack,
meaning
that
he
has
already
done
all
that
he
could
to
be
able
to
obtain
the
desire
to
bestow,
he
can
say
that
he
knows
one
hundred
percent
that
if
the
Creator
does
not
help
him,
he
will
remain
in
self-love.
This
is
called
“having
a
complete
Kli,”
meaning
a
lack.
At
that
time,
the
satisfaction
of
the
lack
comes,
as
the
Creator
gives
him
the
desire
and
yearning
to
bestow.
The
order
is
as
our
sages
said,
“There
are
three
partners
in
a
person:
the
Creator,
his
father,
and
his
mother.
His
father
gives
the
white,”
as
it
is
said
(Nida
31),
“Our
sages
said,
‘There
are
three
partners
in
man:
the
Creator,
his
father,
and
his
mother.
His
father
sows
the
white,
his
mother
sows
the
red,
and
the
Creator
places
in
him
a
spirit
and
a
soul.’”
“Right”
is
named
after
his
father,
meaning
the
light
of
Hochma,
which
is
the
light
of
the
purpose
of
creation.
The
light
of
Hochma
is
the
light
of
“doing
good
to
His
creations,”
and
this
light
comes
specifically
to
the
vessels
of
reception.
There
were
Tzimtzum
and
concealment
on
that
light,
so
it
will
not
illuminate
to
the
vessels
of
reception
before
they
are
corrected
and
can
aim
to
bestow.
Therefore,
when
this
light
shines,
we
see
that
along
with
it
shines
the
fact
that
there
is
also
a
Tzimtzum,
meaning
that
through
this
light,
we
feel
that
we
might
come
to
separation.
At
that
time
a
person
becomes
worse
than
he
was.
That
is,
he
wants
to
receive
spiritual
light
and
pass
it
on
to
the
Klipot
[shells/peels],
which
want
to
receive
abundance
in
order
to
receive.
For
this
reason,
a
person
takes
upon
himself
not
to
use
the
vessels
of
reception
any
longer.
This
is
regarded
as
his
father,
called
Hochma,
gives
the
white,
meaning
that
he
“whitens”
a
person
not
to
use
the
will
to
receive
for
himself,
since
the
light
made
him
see
how
engaging
with
the
will
to
receive
for
oneself
removes
one
from
the
Creator.
Hence,
he
decides
not
to
use
the
will
to
receive
any
more,
and
this
is
called
“white.”
Yet,
without
a
desire,
it
is
impossible
to
do
anything,
and
for
himself,
he
no
longer
wants
to
receive.
For
this
reason,
“His
mother
gives
the
red.”
“His
mother”
is
called
Bina,
whose
quality
is
the
desire
to
bestow.
It
is
known
that
Malchut
is
called
“black,”
meaning
the
will
to
receive,
who
is
called
Malchut,
on
whom
there
was
a
Tzimtzum,
meaning
that
the
light
will
not
shine
into
her.
This
is
why
she
is
called
“darkness.”
When
Malchut
is
included
in
Bina,
Bina
is
called
“red.”
This
is
the
meaning
of
his
mother,
meaning
Bina,
giving
to
a
person
the
desire
to
bestow,
and
then
a
person
can
perform
acts
of
bestowal.
This
is
regarded
as
the
Creator
“giving
a
spirit
and
a
soul,”
meaning
upper
abundance
that
comes
into
the
vessels
of
bestowal.
This
is
called
“the
birth
of
the
Partzuf,”
meaning
that
a
new
degree
is
born.
It
follows
that
everything
comes
from
above.
That
is,
the
power
to
throw
away
the
will
to
receive
is
not
in
one’s
own
hands
to
do
on
his
own.
Rather,
this
is
called
“His
father
gives
the
white.”
Also,
it
is
not
within
one’s
power
to
be
able
to
do
everything
in
order
to
bestow.
Rather,
this
force
of
wanting
to
perform
only
acts
of
bestowal
comes
to
us
from
above.
This
is
called
“His
mother
sows
the
red.”
According
to
the
above,
we
can
interpret
what
we
asked,
What
is
the
meaning
of
saying,
“She
ascends
and
slanders
a
person”?
It
is
written,
“This
is
the
Torah,”
meaning
the
order
of
the
work,
which
gives
one
forces
from
above.
He
says
that
the
Torah
is
called
the
“Assembly
of
Israel,”
Malchut,
and
a
person
should
take
upon
himself
the
kingdom
of
heaven.
Then
comes
the
order
that
first
a
person
begins
to
feel
the
bad
in
him,
since
before
he
began
the
work
of
bestowal,
it
appeared
to
him
that
he
was
already
righteous,
since
he
was
sitting
and
learning
Torah
and
observing
Mitzvot,
and
what
else
should
he
do?
Certainly,
there
are
greater
righteous,
who
learn
more
and
are
more
meticulous
about
the
Mitzvot
[commandments/good
deeds],
but
nonetheless,
he
is
also
righteous,
though
he
believes
that
there
are
greater
righteous.
Because
of
(this),
he
feels
his
lowliness,
that
he
is
not
as
righteous
as
they
are,
and
he
takes
his
lowliness
only
from
this.
However,
when
a
person
begins
to
come
into
the
work
on
the
path
of
truth,
which
is
the
work
of
bestowal,
a
person
begins
to
see
each
time
that
he
is
immersed
in
self-love,
and
cannot
do
anything
in
order
to
bestow.
Rather,
each
time
he
sees
that
by
observing
Torah
and
Mitzvot,
the
will
to
receive
for
himself
will
enjoy
it,
he
is
able
to
work.
Otherwise,
he
is
completely
powerless.
This
is
called
“This
is
the
Torah
[law]
of
the
burnt
offering.”
The
Zohar
says,
“It
is
a
bad
thought
that
comes
up
in
a
person’s
mind
to
divert
him
from
the
path
of
truth.”
That
is,
who
is
the
one
giving
him
the
bad
thought
that
will
come
up
in
his
mind?
After
all,
before
he
began
the
work,
he
was
righteous,
and
now,
why
does
he
get
a
bad
thought?
Reasonably
thinking,
it
should
have
been
the
opposite,
that
now
that
he
wants
to
work
on
the
path
of
truth,
he
should
have
had
good
thoughts
and
not
bad
ones.
The
answer
is
that
“This
is
the
Torah
of
the
burnt
offering,”
meaning
the
Assembly
of
Israel,
who
is
Malchut,
sends
him
these
bad
thoughts.
Otherwise,
if
she
does
not
notify
him
of
the
thoughts
of
wickedness,
he
would
never
be
able
to
correct.
It
turns
out
that
the
Torah
sends
him
the
bad
thoughts,
but
then
he
falls
into
despair.
He
comes
to
such
lowliness
that
he
cannot
believe
that
the
Creator
can
help
him,
judging
by
the
lowliness
he
sees,
that
he
is
so
immersed
in
self-love.
This
is
the
meaning
of
what
is
written,
“She
ascends
and
slanders
a
person.”
This
bad
thought
comes
up
in
one’s
mind
and
makes
him
see
that
he
is
not
worthy
of
the
Creator’s
help.
Rather,
the
Creator
helps
only
people
who
are
more
important
than
you.
This
is
the
meaning
of
“ascending
and
slandering”
in
the
work.
We
must
burn
with
the
fire
of
the
Torah,
as
it
is
written,
“Such
is
my
word,
like
fire.”
However,
the
Creator
helps
every
person.