What
Does
“May
We
Be
the
Head
and
Not
the
Tail”
Mean
in
the
Work?
Article
No.
1,
1990
Our
sages
said,
“Be
a
tail
to
the
lions
and
do
not
be
a
head
to
the
foxes”
(Avot,
Chapter
4).
Therefore,
what
does
it
mean
when
they
say,
“May
we
be
the
head
and
not
the
tail”?
The
order
of
the
work
is
that
when
wanting
to
walk
in
the
path
of
correction,
called
“in
order
to
bestow,”
the
basis
of
the
work
should
be
faith
above
reason.
That
is,
when
the
body
sees
that
a
person
wants
to
work
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator
and
not
for
oneself,
the
body
comes
with
the
question
of
wicked
Pharaoh,
who
asked
the
“Who”
question,
and
the
question
of
the
wicked
one,
“What
is
this
work
for
you?”
Reasonably
thinking,
we
should
answer
these
questions
with
the
mind,
which
is
the
intellect,
and
not
answer
as
though
we
have
no
head.
In
other
words,
we
should
delve
and
scrutinize
with
our
minds
what
to
answer
to
these
questions.
It
was
said
about
this
that
we
should
say
to
the
body,
“In
terms
of
the
intellect,
you
are
correct
and
I
have
no
reply
to
you.
However,
the
path
of
Torah
is
that
we
must
go
above
the
reason
and
the
intellect.”
Accordingly,
we
should
interpret
“Be
a
tail
to
the
lions
and
do
not
be
a
head
to
the
foxes.”
That
is,
when
the
body
comes
with
the
“Who”
and
“What”
questions,
do
not
answer
it
with
the
head,
meaning
with
the
intellect
and
within
reason.
Rather,
“Be
a
tail
to
the
lions.”
A
“lion”
is
the
quality
of
Hesed
[mercy],
since
in
the
upper
Merkava
[structure/chariot]
there
are
a
lion
and
an
ox,
which
are
Hesed
and
Gevura,
and
a
vulture,
which
is
the
quality
of
Tifferet.
He
says
“to
the
foxes”
because
the
questions
they
ask
are
in
the
intellect
and
a
fox
is
considered
clever;
this
is
why
they
are
called
“foxes.”
A
person
should
reply,
“I
do
not
reply
to
you
with
the
intellect,
meaning
with
the
mind.
Rather,
I
am
following
the
lions
as
a
tail
follows
the
head.
As
for
me,
I
have
no
head,
but
I
am
following
the
quality
of
Hesed,
which
is
covered
Hassadim
[mercies].”
That
is,
even
though
he
does
not
see
that
they
are
Hassadim,
meaning
that
it
is
covered
from
him,
he
still
believes
above
reason
that
they
are
Hassadim.
This
is
called
“Be
a
tail
to
the
lions.”
This
means
that
he
says,
“I
am
following
the
quality
of
Hesed,
which
is
only
to
bestow.
A
person
should
say
that
since
he
believes
above
reason
that
the
Creator
watches
over
the
world
with
the
quality
of
good
and
doing
good,
he
therefore
believes
that
although
he
sees
concealment
on
Providence,
since
according
to
a
person’s
eyes
it
should
have
been
otherwise,
he
still
believes
that
the
Creator
wants
that
this
way
it
will
be
better
for
man
if
he
can
accept
everything
with
faith
above
reason,
for
by
this
he
will
be
able
to
emerge
from
self-love
and
work
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator.
This
means
that
if
Providence
were
revealed
to
all,
even
before
a
person
has
obtained
vessels
of
bestowal,
it
would
be
utterly
impossible
for
man
to
be
able
to
receive
the
good
in
order
to
bestow.
Rather,
once
a
person
has
made
every
effort
to
obtain
the
vessels
of
bestowal,
he
can
receive
the
delight
and
pleasure
in
order
to
bestow,
as
the
correction
should
be.
It
is
known
that
our
sages
said,
“Everything
is
in
the
hands
of
heaven
except
for
fear
of
heaven.”
This
means
that
the
Creator
gives
everything
but
the
fear
of
heaven.
This,
the
Creator
does
not
give.
Indeed,
we
should
ask,
Why
does
He
not
give
it?
But
first
we
should
know
the
meaning
of
fear
of
heaven.
As
it
is
explained
in
the
“Introduction
of
The
Book
of
Zohar”
(Item
203),
fear
is
that
he
is
afraid
that
he
will
“decline
in
bringing
contentment
to
his
Maker.”
Therefore,
he
is
afraid
to
receive
the
abundance.
This
is
as
it
is
written,
“And
Moses
hid
his
face
for
he
was
afraid
to
look.”
Our
sages
explained
that
“In
return
for
‘Moses
hid
his
face,’
he
was
rewarded
with
‘The
image
of
the
Lord
he
beheld.’”
It
follows
that
we
attribute
to
the
Creator
only
giving,
and
not
giving
does
not
pertain
to
the
Creator.
This
is
why
we
say
that
fear
of
heaven
pertains
to
the
created
beings,
who
detain
themselves
from
receiving
as
long
as
they
are
uncertain
that
it
will
be
only
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator.
This
is
all
the
work
of
the
created
beings,
that
they
must
work
above
reason.
It
is
impossible
to
do
anything
without
faith
in
the
sages,
who
arranged
for
us
the
order
of
the
work.
Once
a
person
has
accepted
his
work
as
“a
tail
to
the
lions,”
he
follows
the
sages,
to
walk
only
as
they
had
arranged
for
us.
This
is
as
our
sages
said
(Avot,
Chapter
1:4),
“Be
dusted
by
the
dust
of
their
feet
(of
the
sages).”
The
Bartenura
interprets
that
you
should
follow
them,
for
one
who
walks
kicks
up
dust
with
his
feet,
and
one
who
follows
him
fills
up
with
the
dust
that
they
raise
with
their
feet.
We
should
understand
what
our
sages
imply
to
us
with
this
allegory.
We
should
interpret
that
one
who
goes
after
faith
in
the
sages
looks
at
their
way,
and
they
say
that
we
must
go
above
reason.
Then,
a
person
begins
to
be
as
spies,
to
see
if
it
is
truly
worthwhile
to
follow
their
path.
This
is
regarded
as
the
feet
of
the
sages
kicking
up
dust,
which
goes
into
the
eyes
of
their
followers.
That
is,
when
a
person
wants
to
understand
the
path
of
the
sages,
they
tell
us
that
we
must
follow
them
with
our
eyes
shut,
or
dust
will
enter.
Something
unimportant
is
called
“dust,”
meaning
that
there
cannot
be
greater
lowliness
than
this.
Since
man
was
given
the
reason
and
intellect
in
order
to
understand
everything
according
to
the
intellect,
and
here
we
are
told
to
walk
by
accepting
faith
in
the
sages,
and
a
person
wants
to
understand
this
path,
and
since
as
long
as
one
is
placed
under
the
governance
of
the
will
to
receive
for
himself,
he
cannot
know
what
is
good
and
what
is
bad,
but
must
accept
everything
the
way
the
sages
determined
for
us,
or
dust
and
dirt
will
enter
his
eyes
and
he
will
not
be
able
to
move
forward,
but
when
we
do
not
criticize
the
words
of
the
sages
and
do
not
want
to
accept
their
words
within
reason,
specifically
by
this
we
are
rewarded
with
knowledge
[reason]
of
Kedusha
[holiness].
This
is
so
because
the
whole
reason
why
we
need
to
go
above
reason
is
that
we
are
immersed
in
self-love.
Hence,
through
faith
above
reason,
we
are
rewarded
with
vessels
of
bestowal,
and
then
the
delight
and
pleasure
in
vessels
of
bestowal
is
revealed.
In
the
words
of
The
Zohar,
this
is
called
“Reason
spreads
and
fills
rooms
and
corridors.”
That
is,
when
the
Kelim
[vessels]
are
proper,
reason
spreads
both
in
the
inner
Kelim
and
in
the
outer
Kelim.
By
this
we
should
interpret
what
we
say,
“May
we
be
the
head
and
not
the
tail.”
It
is
known
that
there
is
the
order
of
the
purpose
of
creation
and
the
order
of
the
correction
of
creation.
Therefore,
in
the
order
of
the
correction
of
creation,
we
must
obtain
vessels
of
bestowal,
or
it
is
impossible
to
receive
the
delight
and
pleasure.
Therefore,
the
conduct
is
“be
a
tail
to
the
lions,”
and
then
the
conduct
is
everything
above
reason.
Later,
when
he
is
rewarded
with
the
vessels
of
bestowal
through
it,
he
is
rewarded
with
a
mind
of
Kedusha,
called
“reason
of
Kedusha,”
as
it
is
written
in
The
Zohar,
that
the
reason
fills
rooms
and
corridors.
In
other
words,
the
reason
of
Kedusha
in
a
person
who
is
rewarded
is
called
the
“head.”
Therefore,
when
we
ask
of
the
Creator
and
say,
“May
it
be,”
we
ask
to
achieve
the
purpose
of
creation,
which
is
“reason”
and
“head.”
This
is
the
meaning
of
“May
we
be
the
head
and
not
the
tail,”
meaning
that
we
will
not
remain
a
tail
of
the
Sitra
Achra
[other
side],
who
has
no
reason,
as
it
is
written,
“Another
God
is
sterile
and
does
not
bear
fruit.”
Rather,
we
will
be
rewarded
with
“reason,”
which
is
the
fruits
one
obtains
following
the
work
of
obtaining
vessels
of
bestowal,
which
are
Kelim
that
are
fit
to
receive
the
delight
and
pleasure
that
He
wishes
to
bestow
upon
His
creations.
For
this
reason,
if
a
person
sees
that
he
has
still
not
been
rewarded
with
“reason
of
Kedusha,”
called
“head,”
it
is
a
sign
that
he
has
still
not
been
purified
from
vessels
of
self-love.
This
is
why
he
still
has
no
“reason.”
In
other
words,
it
is
because
he
did
not
initially
walk
in
the
manner
of
accepting
faith
above
reason,
by
which
one
is
rewarded
with
vessels
of
bestowal,
which
are
Kelim
where
the
Kedusha
can
clothe.
This
is
why
he
has
no
reason
of
Kedusha.
This
is
similar
to
what
the
Sayer
of
Duvna
said
about
the
verse,
“You
did
not
call
upon
Me,
Jacob,
for
you
labored,
Israel.”
If
a
person
still
feels
labor
in
the
work
of
the
Creator,
it
is
a
sign
that
he
is
still
not
working
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
but
is
rather
working
for
his
own
sake.
This
is
why
he
has
exertion
in
his
work.
Conversely,
when
he
has
corrected
his
Kelim
so
as
to
work
in
order
to
bestow
contentment
upon
his
Maker,
he
enjoys
the
work
because
he
feels
that
he
is
serving
a
great
King,
and
this
is
worth
a
great
fortune
to
him.
It
follows
that
a
person
should
come
to
a
state
of
head,
intellect,
and
reason
of
Kedusha,
since
this
is
the
purpose
of
creation.
According
to
the
above,
we
should
interpret
what
The
Zohar
says
(Pinhas,
Item
143),
“Rabbi
Aba
said,
‘I
remember
something
I
had
heard
from
Rabbi
Shimon,
who
had
heard
from
Rabbi
Eliezer.
One
day,
a
sage
from
the
nations
came
to
Rabbi
Eliezer
and
said
to
him,
‘Three
questions
I
would
like
to
ask
you:
1)
You
say
that
another
Temple
will
be
built
for
you,
but
there
can
only
be
building
twice
…
for
the
writing
called
them
‘The
two
houses
of
Israel.’
Also,
it
is
written
about
the
Second
Temple,
‘The
glory
of
that
last
house
will
be
greater
than
the
first.’
2)
You
say
that
you
are
closer
to
the
High
King
more
than
all
other
nations.
One
who
is
close
to
the
King
is
always
happy,
without
sorrow
…
but
you
are
always
afflicted,
in
trouble,
and
in
more
grief
than
all
the
people.
3)
You
do
not
eat
carcass
or
nonkosher
food
so
that
you
will
be
healthy,
etc.
We
eat
whatever
we
want
and
we
are
robust
in
strength,
etc.
Old
man,
old
man,
tell
me
nothing
for
I
will
not
hear
you.’
Rabbi
Eliezer
raised
his
eyes,
looked
at
him,
and
turned
him
into
a
pile
of
bones.
When
his
anger
subsided,
he
turned
his
head
and
wept.
…These
words
that
the
wicked
man
asked
him,
I
asked
Elijah
one
day,
and
he
said
that
in
the
seminary
of
the
firmament,
the
words
were
laid
out
before
the
Creator,
and
so
they
are.’”
We
should
understand
why
when
the
gentile
asked
him
the
three
questions,
Rabbi
Eliezer
turned
him
into
a
pile
of
bones,
while
he
was
rewarded
with
the
revelation
of
Elijah
and
asked
him
the
same
three
questions.
Why
was
Rabbi
Eliezer
permitted
to
ask
those
questions?
According
to
the
above,
meaning
that
we
must
go
above
reason,
there
is
no
room
for
questions.
That
is,
it
is
forbidden
to
be
a
head
to
the
foxes,
meaning
answer
the
questions
with
the
head,
meaning
with
reason
and
intellect,
namely
the
questions
of
“Who”
and
“What.”
Rather,
“Be
a
tail
to
the
lions,”
meaning
we
must
say
that
common
sense
is
as
the
body
says,
but
we
are
going
above
reason.
By
this
we
are
later
rewarded
with
“reason
of
Kedusha,”
which
is
being
the
head
and
not
the
tail.
In
other
words,
we
are
rewarded
with
the
head
of
Kedusha.
By
this
we
should
interpret
what
is
this
act,
that
he
tells
us
the
argument
that
Rabbi
Eliezer
had
with
the
gentile.
What
does
it
give
us
in
the
work?
In
the
work,
we
should
interpret
this
in
one
person.
That
is,
when
the
body
asks
questions
and
wants
to
understand
everything
within
reason,
we
must
tell
the
body,
“Your
questions
do
not
interest
me,
since
I
am
going
above
reason.”
This
is
the
meaning
of
the
saying
that
he
“looked
at
him
and
turned
him
into
a
pile
of
bones.”
That
is,
turning
him
into
a
pile
of
bones
refers
to
his
questions,
since
when
one
goes
above
reason,
there
are
no
questions
and
everything
is
canceled.
Afterward,
“when
his
anger
subsided”
over
the
questions
that
the
wicked
man
asked
him,
he
was
rewarded
with
the
revelation
of
Elijah,
and
Elijah
gave
him
the
reason
of
Kedusha
on
all
the
questions,
according
to
what
is
learned
above.