What
Is
the
Meaning
of
Suffering
in
the
Work?
Article
No.
27,
1989
On
Yom
Kippur
[Day
of
Atonement],
in
the
“Eighteen
Prayer”
(“My
God,
Until
I
Was
Created”),
we
say,
“That
which
I
sinned
before
You,
erase
with
Your
many
mercies,
but
not
through
suffering.”
We
should
understand
how
is
it
that
when
we
pray
that
we
want
Him
to
erase
our
sins,
we
stipulate
conditions
before
Him,
or
else
we
do
not
want
Him
to
erase
our
sins.
Thus,
what
is
the
condition,
“but
not
through
suffering”?
The
Zohar
(BeHukotai,
Item
42)
writes,
“Rabbi
Yosi
started,
‘My
son,
do
not
reject
the
discipline
of
the
Lord
or
loathe
His
admonition.’
How
beloved
are
Israel,
that
the
Creator
wishes
to
admonish
them
and
lead
them
on
the
straight
path.
And
out
of
His
love
for
him
His
cane
is
always
in
His
hand,
to
lead
him
on
the
straight
path
and
so
he
will
not
stray
right
or
left.
One
whom
the
Creator
does
not
love
but
loathes,
He
removes
His
admonition
from
him.
‘But
Esau
I
hated,’
which
is
why
I
removed
from
him
the
cane,
removed
from
him
the
admonition
so
I
would
not
give
him
a
part
in
Me,
for
My
soul
loathes
him.
But
you
I
love
indeed,
and
do
not
loathe
His
admonition.’
What
is,
‘Do
not
loathe’?
It
is,
do
not
loathe
it,
as
one
who
runs
from
thorns,
for
those
kings
who
enslave
Israel
are
as
thorns
in
one’s
body.”
We
should
understand
this.
Common
sense
mandates
that
the
Creator
should
hold
the
cane
for
the
gentiles,
who
act
against
the
Creator.
But
to
the
people
of
Israel,
whom
He
loves,
it
should
be
as
it
is
written,
“Love
will
cover
all
crimes.”
So
why
does
He
afflict
specifically
Israel—whom
He
loves—with
a
cane?
We
should
also
understand
what
it
interprets,
“Do
not
loathe
His
admonition,”
that
the
kings’
enslavement
of
Israel
is
like
thorns
in
a
person’s
body.
Yet,
it
says,
“Do
not
loathe,”
meaning
do
not
run
away
from
the
thorns,
meaning
from
the
enslavement
of
the
kings.
Can
be
it
be
that
He
tells
them
not
to
run
from
the
kings’
thorns
only
because
He
loves
them?
We
should
also
understand
the
words
“But
Esau
I
hated,”
which
is
why
He
removed
from
him
the
admonition,
“so
I
would
not
give
him
a
part
in
Me.”
It
seems
as
though
if
He
did
admonish
him,
he
would
have
a
part
in
the
Creator.
How
are
they
connected?
It
is
as
though
the
suffering
causes
them
to
have
a
part
in
the
Creator.
We
should
know
that
when
speaking
in
matters
of
work,
both
Israel
and
Esau
speak
of
people
who
observe
Torah
and
Mitzvot
[commandments/good
deeds],
and
not
of
the
nations
of
the
world
or
secular
people.
Rather,
it
is
only
about
people
who
have
faith
and
observe
Torah
and
Mitzvot.
Thus,
what
is
the
difference
between
the
quality
of
“Israel”
in
a
person
and
the
quality
of
“Esau”
in
a
person?
According
to
the
rule
in
observing
Torah
and
Mitzvot,
we
should
also
discern
the
intention—if
the
observance
of
Torah
and
Mitzvot
is
in
order
to
receive
reward
in
this
world
or
in
the
next
world,
or
is
his
intention
to
bestow
and
not
receive
anything.
In
the
quality
of
“Israel,”
the
aim
is
Yashar-El
[straight
to
the
Creator],
when
he
does
not
want
to
receive
anything
in
return
but
that
everything
will
go
straight
to
the
Creator.
This
is
regarded
as
the
“quality
of
Israel”
in
a
person
in
the
work.
But
if
he
does
want
reward
in
return
for
observing
Torah
and
Mitzvot,
it
is
regarded
as
“Esau.”
Esau
means
Asu
[did],
meaning
that
he
made
a
domain
for
himself
and
wants
the
Creator
to
fill
his
domain.
He
does
not
want
to
revoke
his
own
domain,
which
is
called
Yashar-El,
meaning
cancel
his
domain
and
annul
before
Him,
which
is
called
“straight
to
the
Creator,”
and
this
is
his
only
aim.
This,
he
does
not
want.
For
this
reason,
we
discern
two
qualities
in
man’s
work:
“in
order
to
receive
reward”
or
“not
in
order
to
receive
reward.”
We
should
remember
that
man’s
work
in
order
to
bestow,
when
he
wants
Dvekut
[adhesion]
with
the
Creator,
is
where
one
begins
a
procession
of
ascents
and
descents.
That
is,
when
a
person
focuses
everything
he
does
in
the
work
on
receiving
reward
in
return
for
this,
then,
when
he
believes
in
reward
and
punishment,
his
inherent
will
to
receive
does
not
object
to
receiving
greater
pleasures.
However,
when
a
person
wants
to
walk
on
the
path
of
not
receiving
reward,
since
it
is
against
nature,
the
real
war
with
the
evil
inclination
begins,
since
a
person
wants
to
remove
the
evil
inclination
from
the
world,
for
only
here
is
its
existence.
And
concerning
the
name
of
the
will
to
receive,
“evil
inclination,”
it
is
because
it
depicts
to
us
the
path
that
the
people
of
Israel
want
to
march
as
bad.
That
is,
it
argues
that
a
person’s
desire
to
annul
his
own
authority
and
annul
before
the
Creator
is
suicide.
Instead,
what
would
be
called
“good”?
That
would
be
if
a
person
demanded
of
the
Creator
to
expand
man’s
domain
and
satisfy
all
his
lacks,
and
not
that
man
would
work
for
the
Creator.
In
other
words,
the
evil
inclination
asks
a
person,
“Where
is
your
brain,
that
you
are
working
so
hard
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot,
and
for
what
reward?”
It
is
as
our
sages
said,
“The
light
in
it
reforms
him.”
This
means
that
since
the
evil
does
not
want
to
annul
before
the
Creator,
but
rather
the
evil
in
a
person
wants
man
to
exist,
man
is
advised
that
if
he
engages
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot
he
will
thereby
be
rewarded.
That
is,
without
Torah
and
Mitzvot,
it
is
impossible
to
receive
such
as
great
reward,
and
only
by
the
power
of
Torah
and
Mitzvot
can
we
achieve
such
a
great
reward
that
a
person
will
annul
before
the
Creator
and
man’s
authority
will
not
be
apparent,
and
the
Creator
will
take
everything.
About
such
a
reward,
the
evil
inclination
cries
out,
“But
you
are
losing
your
very
being!
You
are
performing
actions
that
will
cause
you
to
cease
to
exist!
Should
one
work
and
toil
for
this?!”
It
follows
that
the
evil
inclination
depicts
to
him
bad
pictures
concerning
the
order
of
his
work.
This
is
called
“suffering.”
That
is,
when
a
person
wants
to
walk
on
the
path
of
truth
and
achieve
Dvekut
with
the
Creator,
called
“equivalence
of
form,”
these
questions
come
to
him
and
he
suffers
a
descent,
meaning
he
cannot
overcome
its
arguments.
This
manifests
immediately,
in
mind
and
in
heart.
When
that
person
recovers
from
the
descent
and
begins
to
contemplate
the
situation
he
is
in,
he
suffers
from
being
far
from
the
Creator.
Once
he
has
been
rewarded
with
an
ascent
in
spirituality,
he
begins
to
think
that
from
now
on
he
will
be
strong
and
immune
to
the
words
of
the
kings
of
the
nations
of
the
world
who
slander
the
Creator.
That
is,
they
do
not
necessarily
say
that
it
is
not
worthwhile
to
engage
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot.
Rather,
they
say
that
it
is
not
worthwhile
to
engage
for
this
reward
of
losing
himself,
and
also
that
he
wants
all
the
labor
to
be
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator
and
not
at
all
for
himself.
This
inflicts
upon
a
person
great
sufferings,
which
are
as
thorns
in
one’s
body,
and
he
wants
to
escape
the
situation
he
is
in.
He
says,
“I
am
probably
unworthy
of
this
work,
or
I
would
not
suffer
descents.”
It
follows
that
these
sufferings
are
that
he
hears
from
them
that
it
is
not
worthwhile
to
work
for
Him
with
this
intention.
Thus,
there
are
two
things
here:
1)
The
kings’
arguments,
who
enslave
Israel
with
their
words.
That
is,
a
person
falls
under
the
control
of
the
kings,
who
enslave
a
person
so
he
can
work
only
for
his
own
sake
because
of
the
suffering
of
the
bad
depictions
that
the
evil
inclination
depicts
to
him.
Generally,
all
the
kings
of
the
nations
of
the
world
are
called
“evil
inclination.”
Each
king
has
his
own
view,
and
he
says
to
a
person,
“Walk
in
my
way;
I
will
give
you
pleasure
in
the
work.”
In
other
words,
all
the
kings
say
the
same
thing:
It
is
better
for
you
to
work
for
yourself
rather
than
for
the
Creator.”
It
follows
that
the
suffering
that
one
sees—that
he
cannot
work
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator—causes
him
to
want
to
escape
the
campaign.
These
sufferings
make
him
see
that
this
work
is
not
for
him,
for
this
path
requires
chosen
people,
a
select
few,
and
mere
ordinary
people
cannot
approach
this
work,
called
“working
with
the
aim
to
bestow.”
Worse
yet,
the
evil
inclination
comes
to
him
dressed
as
a
holy
angel
and
says
to
him,
“But
you
see
that
I
am
right.
Look
back
at
how
vigorously
you
engaged
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot
and
how
enthusiastically
you
used
to
pray.
If
you
ask,
Why
was
it
like
this
before?
It
is
as
I
am
saying,
since
you
worked
for
your
own
benefit,
to
receive
reward.
This
is
why
you
had
the
strength
to
work.
Thus,
what
is
the
point
in
overcoming
each
time
if
you
see
that
you
keep
descending,
which
is
called
‘The
shattered
is
greater
than
the
whole,’
meaning
that
there
are
many
more
descents
than
ascents.”
The
evil
inclination
also
tells
him,
when
it
dresses
in
the
clothes
of
a
holy
angel,
“Previously,
you
advanced
in
the
work
and
each
day
you
acquired
a
possession
of
Kedusha
[holiness]
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot.
But
you
denigrate
this
and
say
that
you
want
to
work
only
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator.
But
you
see
that
you
are
going
backward
in
this
work,
that
you
have
descents,
meaning
that
your
bad
is
becoming
increasingly
evil.
While
you
were
observing
Torah
and
Mitzvot
in
practice
in
the
work,
you
were
more
successful.
You
saw
for
yourself
how
you
progressed.
But
now,
where
are
your
energy
and
excitement
in
the
work?
Thus,”
it
says
to
him,
“turn
away
from
this
path.”
It
follows
that
through
the
words
of
the
evil
inclination,
which
is
all
the
kings
of
the
nations
of
the
world,
they
enslave
Israel
and
sting
the
bodies
of
those
workers
who
want
to
work
in
order
to
bestow.
This
brings
up
the
question,
Why
do
these
people,
who
want
to
walk
on
the
path
of
truth,
achieve
Dvekut
with
the
Creator
and
annul
before
Him,
deserve
such
suffering,
such
descents
that
they
cannot
tolerate
the
suffering
and
want
to
escape
the
campaign?
And
conversely,
those
who
work
in
order
to
receive
reward
do
not
have
the
suffering
of
feeling
that
they
are
far
from
the
work
of
the
Creator.
Instead,
they
feel
that
they
are
advancing
every
day.
Certainly,
when
they
see
the
progress,
there
is
energy
to
work.
They
do
not
feel
that
they
have
any
descents,
but
only
that
sometimes
they
advance
more
and
sometimes
they
advance
less,
but
they
do
not
regress.
The
answer
is
that
when
a
person
does
not
feel
a
lack
and
corruption
in
the
work,
he
has
nothing
to
correct.
Therefore,
these
are
people
who
can
work
only
in
practice,
and
on
practical
Mitzvot,
there
is
nothing
to
add
or
subtract,
as
it
is
written,
“Do
not
add,
and
do
not
take
away.”
And
since
they
still
have
no
need
for
the
intention,
and
intention
means
achieving
equivalence
of
form,
called
“in
order
to
bestow,”
naturally,
they
do
not
want
to
adhere
to
Him.
That
is,
they
have
no
understanding
about
working
not
in
order
to
receive
reward.
For
this
reason,
the
Creator
does
not
give
them
suffering,
namely
the
sensation
of
remoteness
from
the
Creator,
so
they
will
ask
the
Creator
to
bring
them
closer.
This
is
as
Maimonides
writes,
that
“women,
little
ones,
and
uneducated
people
are
taught
to
work
in
order
to
receive
reward,”
for
they
will
not
understand
otherwise.
When
“they
gain
knowledge
and
acquire
much
wisdom,
they
are
taught
that
secret,”
that
we
should
work
Lishma
[for
Her
sake],
which
is
in
order
to
bestow.
Now
we
can
understand
what
we
asked,
Why
does
the
Creator
afflict
Israel,
who
are
the
Creator’s
beloved
ones?
Moreover,
He
tells
them,
“Since
I
love
you,
I
want
you
not
to
loathe
the
thorns,”
since
those
kings
who
enslave
Israel
are
as
thorns
in
their
bodies.
It
is
written,
“Do
not
loathe
His
admonition,”
meaning
do
not
escape
the
campaign
and
say
that
this
work
on
the
aim
to
bestow
is
not
for
you.
This
means
that
those
whom
the
Creator
loves,
referring
to
the
quality
of
Israel,
who
want
to
annul
Yashar-El
[straight
to
the
Creator],
and
the
will
to
receive
that
exists
in
a
person,
this
they
want
the
Creator
to
give
them
the
power
to
subdue
it
so
he
will
annul
before
the
Creator.
However,
a
person
cannot
overcome
the
will
to
receive,
since
the
will
to
receive
makes
him
see
that
the
main
reason
why
a
person
should
labor
and
toil
is
to
be
able
to
satisfy
his
self-love.
But
that
person
wants
the
opposite—to
revoke
his
self-love
and
be
able
to
work
only
on
what
pertains
to
love
of
the
Creator.
That
is,
he
does
not
want
to
work
for
his
own
sake,
but
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
meaning
for
what
pleases
the
Creator.
That
person
says
that
he
derives
no
satisfaction
from
having
the
strength
not
to
work
for
himself,
as
there
are
many
smart-alecks
who
say
that
man
achieves
wholeness
if
he
does
not
work
for
himself.
He,
however,
says
that
this
is
not
why
the
Creator
created
the
creatures,
so
they
will
not
enjoy.
Rather,
the
purpose
of
creation
was
to
do
good
to
His
creations.
Therefore,
the
creatures,
too,
should
work
in
equivalence
of
form,
meaning
so
all
their
yearning
will
be
to
do
good
to
the
Creator.
It
follows
that
one
who
says
that
man’s
purpose
to
achieve
wholeness
is
only
so
as
not
to
work
for
himself,
that
only
this
is
man’s
purpose
and
why
he
was
created,
this
is
not
the
truth.
Instead,
one
should
always
examine
oneself
to
see
if
he
is
working
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
meaning
that
the
Creator
will
enjoy.
That
is,
he
wants
to
replace
self-love
and
achieve
love
of
the
Creator,
for
only
in
this
way
will
the
creatures
achieve
the
goal
for
which
they
were
created,
called
“to
do
good
to
His
creations.”
Therefore,
those
who
want
to
achieve
love
of
the
Creator,
although
this
degree
is
still
far
from
them,
yet
they
nonetheless
want
to
achieve
it,
these
are
called
“those
who
love
the
Creator.”
It
is
as
Baal
HaSulam
said
about
the
verse,
“will
give
wisdom
to
the
wise.”
He
asked,
“It
should
have
said,
‘will
give
wisdom
to
the
fools?!’”
Since
they
are
already
wise,
what
does
wisdom
give
them?
Also,
from
where
would
they
have
wisdom
before
the
Creator
gives
them?
Only
afterward,
when
they
already
have
wisdom.
He
said
that
the
meaning
of
“wise”
is
those
who
want
to
be
wise.
Although
he
still
does
not
have
wisdom,
but
he
desires
wisdom,
he
is
already
called
“wise,”
after
his
purpose.
Hence,
one
who
wants
to
be
wise
should
believe
that
the
Creator
will
give
him
wisdom.
In
this
way,
we
should
interpret
that
one
who
wants
to
love
the
Creator
is
already
regarded
as
one
who
loves
the
Creator.
For
this
reason,
the
Creator
wants
to
give
them
love,
meaning
annulment
of
self-love
and
to
be
rewarded
with
love
of
the
Creator.
The
Zohar
says
to
them
that
the
Creator
holds
in
His
hand
a
cane
to
lead
them
on
the
straight
path.
That
is,
they
should
believe
that
the
sufferings
they
suffer
from
the
descents
they
undergo
come
from
the
Creator.
That
is,
these
foreign
thoughts
they
are
receiving,
which
are
as
thorns
in
their
bodies,
the
Creator
is
the
one
who
sends
them.
Although
a
person
understands
it
would
be
better
if
the
Creator
sent
more
ascents,
and
why
do
I
need
these
descents,
meaning
what
is
their
purpose,
the
answer
to
this
is
that
this
is
called
“the
cane
in
the
Creator’s
hand
to
lead
him
on
the
straight
path.”
Otherwise,
if
a
person
remains
in
a
state
of
ascent,
he
will
think
that
he
has
achieved
completeness
and
will
remain
in
his
state
of
lowliness
because
he
will
not
feel
any
lack
that
he
must
correct.
For
this
reason,
the
Creator
shows
him
his
lowliness
and
shows
him
that
as
much
as
he
already
thought
that
he
was
superior,
that
he
did
not
have
such
lowly
thoughts
that
other
people
have,
suddenly
he
sees
that
he
has
worse
thoughts
than
people
who
work
like
the
general
public,
who
are
regarded
as
working
in
order
to
receive
reward.
He
says
that
he
wants
to
work
only
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator
and
not
for
his
own
sake,
and
he
is
certainly
at
a
higher
degree
than
they
are.
But
suddenly,
he
sees
that
he
is
lower
than
they
are.
It
follows
that
the
suffering
he
feels
causes
him
to
need
to
ask
the
Creator
to
truly
bring
him
closer.
This
is
why
this
pertains
specifically
to
people
who
are
regarded
as
Israel,
who
want
to
be
“Israel.”
In
order
not
to
fail
in
the
work,
He
sends
them
these
descents.
This
is
considered
that
He
is
“holding
the
cane
in
His
hand,
to
lead
them
on
the
straight
path.”
The
“straight
path”
is
the
path
that
leads
straight
to
the
King’s
palace.
This
is
not
so
with
those
who
are
regarded
only
as
Esau.
This
is
only
action,
without
the
intention
that
the
actions
will
lead
to
annulment
of
self-benefit,
and
they
do
not
want
to
do
things
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
but
settle
for
the
action,
without
the
aim
that
they
will
lead
to
Dvekut
with
the
Creator
and
do
not
think
of
the
matter
of
Dvekut
with
the
Creator,
as
it
is
written,
“And
to
cling
unto
Him.”
For
them,
the
Creator
does
not
hold
the
cane
in
His
hand
to
admonish
them.
He
says,
“But
Esau
I
hated,
which
is
why
I
removed
the
cane
from
him,
removed
the
admonition
from
him
so
I
would
not
give
him
a
part
in
Me.”
That
is,
“I
do
not
want
him
to
have
Dvekut
with
Me.”
This
is
why
He
says,
“My
soul
loathes
him,”
meaning
that
because
their
whole
work
is
only
for
their
own
sake,
“My
soul
loathes
him,”
and
I
will
not
give
him
a
part
in
Me.
That
is,
I
will
not
give
him
suffering
by
which
to
cling
to
Me.
Since
they
have
no
desire
for
Me,
I
have
no
desire
for
those
who
are
in
the
quality
of
Esau,
who
feel
themselves
as
whole.
“Esau”
means
that
he
has
already
Asah
[did]
his
bit
and
regards
himself
as
whole.
Yet,
what
can
one
do
in
order
not
to
undergo
a
descent,
called
“suffering”
from
feeling
remote
from
the
Creator?
since
all
the
suffering
is
in
order
for
a
person
not
to
remain
on
a
low
degree
because
he
is
content
with
little,
since
he
already
thinks
that
he
has
already
been
rewarded
with
a
spiritual
degree.
Therefore,
it
is
necessary
to
lower
the
person
in
importance,
meaning
that
he
will
see
for
himself
how
deficient
he
is.
Then
he
will
come
to
ask
the
Creator
to
deliver
him
from
his
lowliness.
Thus,
how
can
he
not
fall
into
a
state
of
lowliness?
The
advice
for
this
is
that
if
a
person
calculates
and
sees,
through
thought
and
desire,
that
he
is
still
far
from
Dvekut
with
the
Creator,
meaning
that
even
during
an
ascent
he
still
considers
himself,
and
begins
to
feel
his
faults,
then
he
does
not
need
to
fall
from
his
state,
meaning
to
be
given
lowly
thoughts
until
he
feels
that
he
is
in
a
state
of
deficiencies.
Rather,
even
during
an
ascent
he
begins
to
seek
advice
how
to
ascend
in
degree.
In
that
case,
he
does
not
need
to
be
given
descents
from
above,
since
he
himself
begins
to
seek
advice
even
before
he
has
fallen
into
lowliness.
Now
it
seems
that
in
the
situation
he
is
in,
he
is
full
of
faults.
By
this
he
can
rid
himself
of
the
need
to
be
given
descents
from
above.
However,
normally,
the
order
is
that
during
an
ascent,
a
person
does
not
want
to
search
for
faults
in
himself.
Therefore,
he
must
be
given
descents
from
above.
By
this
we
can
interpret
what
our
sages
said
(Shabbat
152),
“What
I
did
not
lose,
I
seek.”
That
is,
an
old
man
walking
bent,
always
looking
at
the
ground
as
though
searching
for
something.
He
says,
“I
have
lost
nothing,
yet
I
search.”
We
should
interpret
“Old
is
he
who
has
acquired
wisdom.”
That
is,
he
is
“Wise,
who
sees
the
future.”
Since
he
can
come
to
a
descent
in
order
acquire
empty
Kelim,
so
the
Creator
may
fill
them
or
he
will
remain
in
a
state
of
lowliness
because
he
will
not
feel
deficient.
Then,
when
he
loses
the
state
of
ascent,
he
begins
to
seek
advice
how
to
ascent
in
spirituality
once
again.
Therefore,
one
who
is
old,
meaning
wise
and
sees
the
future,
begins
to
search
how
to
ascend
in
spirituality
even
before
he
loses
the
state
of
ascent.
He
begins
to
follow
all
the
counsels
about
the
ways
to
ascend
on
the
spiritual
degrees,
and
this
is
done
by
seeking
deficiencies
in
the
state
he
is
in.
In
that
case,
there
is
no
need
to
throw
him
down
in
importance
so
he
will
find
and
see
deficiencies
in
himself,
since
he
himself
will
be
looking
for
deficiencies
so
as
to
have
empty
Kelim
that
the
Creator
may
fill.
The
best
advice
in
a
state
of
ascent
is
that
when
a
person
feels
that
now
there
is
a
state
of
spirituality,
and
he
wants
to
find
deficiencies,
in
that
state
he
should
delve
in
the
Torah
and
find
the
connection
between
the
Torah
and
man.
From
this
he
will
be
able
to
take
knowledge
about
how
to
serve
the
Creator,
as
it
is
written,
“a
soul
without
knowledge
is
also
not
good,”
and
as
it
is
written,
“grant
us
wisdom,
understanding,
and
knowledge
from
You.”
In
that
state,
he
will
see
the
lack
in
him
and
will
have
empty
Kelim.
By
this,
he
will
be
saved
from
coming
into
a
real
descent.
Now
we
will
explain
the
question,
Why,
when
we
pray
to
the
Creator
to
erase
our
sins,
do
we
stipulate
before
Him
conditions
and
say,
“but
not
through
suffering,”
meaning
“not
through
descents”?
During
a
descent,
we
are
separated
from
Him,
since
during
a
descent,
everything
is
in
lowliness.
This
is
called
“Shechina
[Divinity]
in
the
dust.”
Because
we
must
feel
our
lowliness,
we
cause
the
Shechina
to
be
in
exile,
too,
just
as
we
have
drifted
from
the
holy
land.
That
is,
we
do
not
have
the
desire
of
Kedusha
[holiness].
Instead,
during
a
descent,
we
receive
the
desire
of
“the
land
of
the
nations,”
and
by
this
we
degrade
the
Kedusha.
For
this
reason,
we
ask
Him
to
help
us
erase
our
sins
so
we
may
enter
Kedusha.
However,
that
it
will
not
come
by
suffering,
called
“descents,”
for
these
descents
cause
the
degrading
of
Kedusha,
which
is
called
“Shechina
in
the
dust”
or
“Shechina
in
exile.”
We
pray
that
this
suffering
will
not
come,
since
we
are
causing
the
degradation
of
Kedusha.
Our
sages
say
(Berachot
p
5),
“Rabbi
Yohanan
was
weak.
He
went
to
Rabbi
Haninah.
He
said
to
him,
‘Are
you
fond
of
suffering?’
He
replied,
‘Neither
they
nor
their
reward.’”
Everyone
asks
about
this.
After
all,
many
righteous
took
upon
themselves
suffering,
so
why
did
Rabbi
Yohanan
say
“Neither
they
nor
their
reward”?
Baal
HaSulam
interpreted
this
and
said
that
they
were
arguing
over
the
exile
of
the
Shechina,
which
is
delayed
because
not
all
the
sparks
of
Kedusha
that
have
descended
into
the
Klipot
[shells/peels]
have
been
corrected.
For
this
reason,
although
there
is
reward,
namely
that
everything
that
descended
to
be
among
the
Klipot
will
return
to
the
Kedusha,
which
is
a
very
big
reward—that
everything
will
be
corrected—but
in
the
meantime,
until
everything
is
corrected,
the
Shechina
is
in
exile,
everyone
degrades
her
and
exalt
the
maidservant,
namely
the
Klipa
[singular
of
Klipot].
This
is
the
sorrow
of
the
Shechina
that
he
cannot
tolerate.
It
is
about
this
that
he
said
“Neither
they
nor
their
reward.”
We
see
what
is
suffering
in
the
work.
It
is
that
they
suffer
that
the
Shechina
must
be
in
lowliness
because
of
them.
To
understand
this,
we
should
examine
the
essay
“Divinity
in
Exile”
(Shamati,
Essay
No.
1),
where
it
says
that
when
a
person
regrets
being
far
from
the
Creator,
that
he
is
inside
the
will
to
receive
only
for
his
own
benefit,
like
animals,
which
is
unbecoming
of
the
“human”
quality,
he
should
direct
the
suffering
so
it
is
not
because
he
wants
to
be
a
man,
and
this
is
why
he
suffers,
but
rather
that
it
is
because
of
the
sorrow
of
the
Shechina.
He
says
an
allegory
about
this,
that
a
person
who
has
a
pain
in
a
certain
organ,
feels
the
pain
primarily
in
the
heart
and
in
the
mind,
which
is
the
whole
of
man.
Likewise,
man
is
a
specific
part
of
the
Shechina,
called
“the
assembly
of
Israel.”
She
feels
the
majority
of
the
pain,
and
this
is
what
he
should
regret.
This
is
called
“suffering”
in
the
work.